Of Mutants and Immortals: The Complete Saga
by animefreek
Summary: Okay I just Uploaded the complete saga, again Because the Chaptering thing messed me up a bit. For those of you who reviewed thank you and Read the Sequel They Watch Us While We Sleep. Buffy and Co. join the story.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: The X-Men and Highlander characters belong to their prospective owners and not me. I only wrote this fanfic for my own entertainment and I'm making no money so don't sue me. It would be a waste of time.  
  
Of Mutants and Immortals  
by Animefreek  
  
Chapter One  
  
This can't be happening to me, this can't be happening to me. Yesterday my life was so normal. I went to school, did my homework and even went on the ocassional date now and then. Now I'm sitting outside an office wondering if I'm going to have a safe place to spend the night. I wish I could blame this on somebody, but how do I blame genetics and fate? "Catherine you can come in now." Duncan tried to sound reassuring but he is an awful liar. As I entered the Professor's office I wondered if he really knew what was going on with Duncan and I. "Yes I do Catherine, I've know about humans like Duncan and yourself for a long time." His voice had a soothing tone to it and I let myself relax a bit. "How'd you know what I was thinking? You're a telepath aren't you." "Yes, and the other students here are mutants as well. Even though you're not a mutant yourself, your father and I believe it would be best if you trained with the X-Men until its time for you to prosue your higher education." "I don't like hiding what I am but I realize why I have to do it. Are you going to tell the X-Men about me or do I have to come up some cover up story." "Theres no need for a story here Catherine its completely up to you to decide when or if to tell the others what you are." "Would they believe me if I did? Its not everyday you meet a kid thats been genetically engineered from two immortals and who has the potential to live forever." I had a smirk on my face but even that couldn't hide the fear or pain I was feeling inside. I wanted to curl myself into a ball and disappear. I hate hiding and I hate secrets. Why me.  
  
Later on that evening I was introduced to the other students of the Institute, to my surprise the others were much older excepte for a young Chinese girl name Jubilation Lee. I don't think she likes me too much. The others were very nice, I especially like the one they call Gambit, he reminds me of my mom, Amanda. He's all smiles and charm, a real smooth talker. Hank reminds me of the Cookie Monster only smarter and better taste in snack food. The prof told me that Logan was a little rough around the edges and blunt , but I like that about him. I can tell he's a real softy underneath it all. What can I say about Scott, he's got a stick up his ass. The ladies of the house Rouge, Jean, and Ororo were very friendly, but they're definitely not use to having a "normal" teenager around. Am I forgetting someone, oh yeah, Bobby. He seems to be the practical joker of the group, he could be fun.  
  
I sat next to Xavier at dinner that night, I wanted to hold his hand, but I didn't know him that well and I didn't want to look like a woose in front of Jubilee. "So Catherine tell us about your mom and dad." Scott was trying to cut the tension, but he wasn't helping. I decided to oblige him with the usual spleel. "My dad's name is Duncan Macleod and he's an antiques dealer who specializes in mideavil weaponry, we spend most of our time traveling between Paris, Chicago, and Scotland. My mom is, I found reason in sugar coating this, a world class theif and I spend the latter part of my year helping her earn a living." Needless to say that put an end to the questions, at least for that dinner. Logan nearly choked on his beer and Gambit looked as if he wanted to ask something, but Rogue shot him this look that would stop anybody in their tracks. It was kind of funny.  
  
"Professor did you know her parents before you enrolled her?" "Of course, Amanda and Duncan have been my friends for a very long time and before you even ask Scott yes I knew Amanda was a theif and come to think of it she still is." "Professor what if she's a security risk?" "I assure you she isn't. She's here to train with us and to continue her education." "Why do I have the feeling this isn't the whole story?" " It isn't, but the rest of the story is up to her to tell." With that Scott left the professor to his work. Meanwhile on the other side of the mansion I was getting settled into my room for the night. Jean told me I had a session in the "Danger Room" , I think thats what she called it, in the morning so until then I'd better try to get some sleep. I hate sleeping in strange beds.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
"Looks like Chuck enrolled a real fire cracker this time. I hope he knows what he's getting us into. Normal kids get hurt faster and easier than mutant kids." Logan said as he fixed his breakfast in the kitchen with Hank. "I am quite sure that our esteemed founder has sufficiantly briefed the young as to the ongoings of our house. Further more I have the feeling this particular lass can take care of herself." "Thank you Dr." Hank jumped and Logan nearly choked on his orange juice. I'd been standing in the doorway for most of the conversation. "How long ya been standing there darlin?" "Not long." I decided it would better to keep a low profile and get the lay of the land. "Sneaking up on folks in this house can be bad for ya health kid. Make some noise." " I don't do noise." And with that said I left the room. "Did ya hear or smell the kid Hank?" "No, it would seem that our newest recruit has some real skills underneath her beautiful exterior." Logan raised an eyebrow. "Beautiful?" "I'm smart dear Logan not blind, like you hadn't noticed." "She's a kid and the last thing I need is another tag-a-long." "How do you know she'll tag along with you?" Hank smirked.  
  
My first training session was with the one they called Logan or as I came to find out, Wolverine. The lower levels of the mansion were really empressive. They probably had more equipment than the Watchers, not the years of experience, but definitely more stuff. I still had my ice wall up when Logan told me he'd go easy on me because I was the rookie. "Don't be gentle on my account I can handle myself." "Ok darlin, whatever you say." I don't like the way he said that. I found myself blocking a barrage of text book karate moves. He really was taking it easy on me. "I didn't ask for any special treatment, show me what ya got old man!" Needless to say he didn't appreciate that crack an I found myself staring done a pair of claws that came jutting out from between his knuckles. "NObody calls me old man kid" Wolverine growled. I really wanted to curl up into a ball and he knew it but I wasn't about to do that. I had to survey this situation. I noticed that his claws were made of Alamantian and he had made a mistake, he thought I was defenseless. I wanted to wait until later to reveal my skills to the X-Men but under the circumstances I wasn't about to get stomped. I quickly dropped to the floor and swiped my legs under his sending him to the floor, then rolling to the side I reached for the sword I'd hidden in my clothes. Mom was right a spinal sheath was more convient than the trench coats that dad always wore. He grinned at me until he noticed that I had a sword and it was Alamantian too.  
  
"The kid had a sword professor she could have done some real damage." Scott said in his most soldiery voice. "Catherine is a very talented girl she knows how to handle it." "Why are you being so easy on her, if any of us tried to pull a stunt like that we'd be out of here." "Scott she is far more different than any us could be." "How different could she possibly be, she normal!" Xavier was starting to get a headache and Scott wasn't helping. "She has to tell you and the others how different she is and I'm allowing her do that in her own time. Her secret could someday cost her her life." The professor's brow furrowed and Scott took that as a sign to leave. "Cost her her life." Scott mumbled as he left the professor's office.   
  
"The kid had a sword, I'm impressed." Logan said to Bobby as he finished his beer in the rec room. "Logan have I ever told you that you're really strange?" "Not lately popsicle, and if you do again its shaved ice for everybody." "Ok didn't mean anything by it." Just then Jean walked in and the boys took the opportunity to be nosey. "Hey Jean whats the story on the new kid?" Bobby smiled and tried to look nonchalant. "I know as much as anybody else on this one. The professor thought it would be her best interest that we let her tell us." "So in other words, none of our business." " Thats right so don't bother her about it Bobby." "Who me?"  
  
Meanwhile I decided to take a walk around the grounds maybe that would cheer me up. I missed the barge in Paris and mom's Apartment in Chicago. I never thought I'd miss the two of them hovering over me or the constant drills in sword play. The Danger Room is definitly on a higher level though. That Logan guy is really intense, but then again Duncan can be too. Pulling out my sword really surprised him, they truly know nothing about who or what I am. I really wanted to be alone ,but it was lunch time and the prof thought it would be nice if we had a group picnic instead of eating in the dinning room. He means well but I wish he'd stop.  
  
I honestly like the X-Men, I really do. I just miss my family as strange as it might be. My mother has been there for me since my first step and I've spent most of my life with her up until a year ago when everything went crazy. Last year my mom took it upon herself to tell me three things:  
  
1. I had a father.  
2. I was going to become an immortal someday.  
3. My father was an immortal.  
  
I think the fact that I had a father probably jarred me the most. I kind of found the third item hard to bellieve after all immortals can't have kids. I debated over the point for several hours with her until she told me about the genetic engineering that resulting in my "birth". It would appear that I was grown in a tank like a tomato and that my entire genetic structure came from a blood sample from Amanda and lock of Duncan's hair. Talk about throwing a girl for a loop. I can't complain though, Duncan had a much harder time excepting it. I don't know whether it was from pure denile or shock but he went into seclusion for about a month. Nobody knew were he was not even Joe and after he came back he had to talk to his "friend" Methos. Methos is the reason I'm "hiding" here at the Institute. Yeah right like anyone can hide from an immortal.   
  
Chapter 3  
  
I wish Duncan, or Richie, or even mom was here with me. I don't like this on my own thing, its seriously weirding me out. I've been here almost a week and the only person around my own age refuses to have a civilized conversation with me. "What's you're problem already? I've tried my best to fit in but you can't seem to give me any slack. Whats up with that?" I said in my most peeved off voice. "I don't like you!" Jubilee shouted. "Why what did I ever do to you? I came here because I had to. Don't you think I'd rather be on my barge with my dad or in Chicago with my mom or anywhere except for here!" My composure was gone and I could feel hot tear wash down my face. She was staring now. "Whats the matter never seen someone cry before? Its not my fault I'm here, it's not myfault parents are immortals, and its not my fault I'm being hunted at this very moment by a mad man who wants to kill me for no other reason that what may be in the future! Honey you not liking me is the least of my problems!" I was in histerics now and the hallway was starting to fill as the others started to rush out to see what was the matter. Everyone one was staring now, so the only thing I could do was scream.  
  
Chapter Four  
  
"Immortals? What's she talking about Chuck?" Logan said with a hint of concern. He'd come to like the kid and was impressed at the fact that she could constantly sneak up on him. Xavier was poised at his desk looking at a still shell shocked Catherine. "Its a very long story Logan."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Part two

Disclaimer: The X-Men and Highlander characters belong to their prospective owners and not me. I only wrote this fanfic for my own entertainment and I'm making no money so don't sue me. It would be a waste of time.  
  
Of Mutants and Immortals  
By Animefreek  
  
**denote thoughts  
  
Chapter Four cont.  
  
Catherine sat sitting on the couch in Xavier's office preparing herself to hear his story and hers. She still wasn't ready to reveal all but their wouldn't be any piece in the mansion until the whole truth came out.  
  
Slowly the prof cleared his throat and began his story. "I first met Duncan Macleod a decade ago when I decided to take an improptu trip to Scotland. I was on the trail of a prospective student, or so I thought. Cerebro had led me to the village of Glenn finnen on the shores of Loch Sheel. When I arrived at the local inn I was disappointed to find that the young mutant that I'd tracked had been killed by a mob of frightened locals just three days before. I wanted to give his family my condolenses, but the young lady who ran the inn said that he had none and that her cousin paid for the funeral." "What is your cousin's name?" " Duncan, Duncan Macleod. If you would like to speak with him you can find him at the local antiques shop, I recall he said something about aquiring a sword." With that said Xavier set out to find Macleod. Little did he know he was about to find more than a good samaritan.  
  
Xavier found himself inside of a quaint antiques store admiring an empressive array of mediaeval knives and swords along with tapestries and dishwares from various parts of the world. "Can I help you with anything in particular?" "I would like to speak to the owner of this establishment if he isn't busy." "He isn't", the Scott with shoulder lenght hair said. With a slight bow he introduced himself as Duncan Macleod. "I'm professor Charles Xavier, I was wondering if I could talk to you about the young mutant that was killed a few days ago." " Perhaps we should continue our conversation in my office." Duncan told the prof that he had known the child and his parents for many years and after his parents died in a car accident he payed for the young man's education. It wasn't until recently that he found out that his ward was a mutant. You could see the regret in Macleod's eyes, he was feeling guilty about the boy's death, probably thinking he could have stopped what happened if he'd known sooner. In the corner of Xavier's mind there was a nagging feeling that Macleod wasn't all that he seemed. It bothered him to feel this way about a man who he'd just me.  
  
Their conversation went on for some time without either one of them noticing the day slip by. Slowly they entered into more pleasent conversation which included some of Duncan's more colorful historical "anecdotes". At the time Charles didn't know he had lived through most of them. Then something strange happened, Duncan jerked his head as if listening to some far off sound.   
  
**I have to get Charles out of here!**   
  
It was too late. Before either one of them could say another word an immortal by the name of Draco Monroe stepped into the office. At first glance he looked several years younger than Macleod but his eyes game him away even to mortals and especially to Charles. The man's thoughts were projecting out at an astonishing rate and Charles found himself listening to the stream of thoughts. "Immortals, Quickenings, the game, is this man mad?", Charles thought. "Charles leave here." The ice that had suddenly come into his new found friend's voice was quite startling to him. "I can't leave you here with him he's clearly mad!" By this time Draco was brandishing a large sword that had been hidden in his trench coat and to Charles' surprise his friend had found a sword of his own, a stylized katana.  
  
**They're both mad.** Duncan had seen immortals behave like this before. Many of the men he had called friends, circumed to the madness of age and agelessness combined. They didn't care who learned their secrets or where they fought, they only lived for the battle and the result. The knowlegde they aquired went to waste and their madness further consumed them. He could tell Charles thought he was surrounded by two phychos. If he survived this fight he'd have a lot of explaining to do.  
  
The two men fought furiously as Xavier watched. He didn't have to read their minds to figure out that this was a life or death situation. He watched as Duncan sliced into his opponent and vice versa. Then suddenly Macleod lost his balance and tripped on a small set of steps. As he fell back his sword flew away from him and across the room. Draco came in for the kill. Xavier couldn't watch any longer his eyes turned to slits of concentration and he sent the "younger looking" man flying into a far corner. It was now Duncan's turn to be surprised, two-fold.  
  
Duncan couldn't believe what he had just seen, his enemy thrown across a room by an unseen force, apparently eminating from his new friend and Amanda rushing in from the back and promptly taking Draco's head. She hadn't noticed Charles when she came in, the only thought in her mind was protecting Duncan. She never would have taken Draco's head otherwise.  
  
Xavier watched in awe as a brillent hue of light formed around the decapitated body and a thick fog fumed at Amanda's feet. The gentle light quickly turned into a fireworks show that would rival any fourth of july show in the states. All around windows shattered and earth seemed to quake, Amanda was enveloped in a lighting bolt that even his student storm would have a hard time controlling. Then stillness, nothing. Charles was afraid but he had to see if the woman was alright. To his bewilderment there wasn't a scratch on her. Duncan composed himself and put a hand on Xavier's shoulder, "I have a lot of Explaining to do." It seemed the only appropriate thing to say.  
  
Xavier shook his head in disbelief as Duncan explained the existance of immortals and the "game" they play. It was all a little hard to swallow and Charles desperately wanted to call the local police, but what was he going to tell them. **Hi your favorite citizen's girlfriend just decapitated a man and now she's offering me something to drink!"** It was Duncan's turn now to ask some questions or at least comfirm some conclusions. " I'm guessing that you're a mutant, that would explain your interest in poor Brian and Monre flying across the room." He saw a brief streak of pain dash across his features. "Yes, I've founded a school for mutants in Westchester, New York; I teach young mutants to use their powers constructively to help their fellow man. I wanted to bring Brian back to the states unfortunately I was too late." " So you're a telepath." " Among other things." "I hope you've decided to keep my secret, I don't wish to know what the rest of the world would do if they found out about the existance of Immortals." Duncan was tense. "Of course, who would believe me?" "I'll keep the secret of your mutation, I assume that no one else besides close friends know about you or your school." Xavier nodded in agreement. With that said a most unusual friendship began with Duncan Macleod, Amanda Montrose, and Charles Xavier. Through the years they often got together and exchange ideas and stories.  
  
"O.K. prof we believe you, surrrrre." Bobby said sarcastically. Jean glared at Bobby wiping the grin off his face. "Ok, that explains the mysterious mister Macleod, if its true, but what about the sword carrying little thief over there?" Scott said glaring at the sum what calmed Catherine. Jean gave him an even worse look than Bobby. Logan was going to laugh but Storm gabbed in the ribs. Catherine saw the look on Logan's face and broke into a grin, which was reciprocated by Logan. He was more of a friend than a father figure to her, probably her best there since the others decided to keep their distances for the time being and the professor was always working.   
  
"Catherine is the second half of the story, he looked over at Catherine, I think its time she told her story." Catherine swallowed and summoned the small amount of courage she had left.  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Amanda and Catherine were sitting in their usual place at a small cafe in Paris. It had almost been a year since they had visited an they were both raring to go "shopping" at the local art exhibit. A priceless eygptian Cat statue was on display and Catherine had already lined up quite a few buyers on the black market. Amanda had arranged for them to be "security consultants" for the museum, after all who would suspect security of stealing a statue, especially a couple of somewhat ditzy brunettes. It was going to be the perfect scam or so they thought. Everything was going fine until Amanda saw him, Duncan Macleod.   
  
He was sitting on the otherside of the cafe obliviously sipping a latte, enjoying the quiet of the afternoon. He had the most spectacular dark eyes, almost like mine and long black hair that would make most women I knew jealous. Quite a striking man, well muscled, an athelete he probably studied martial arts. "What do you think of him darling?" Amanda asked in her most angelic voice. "What? Am I susposed to? He's just another pretty face." I tried to sound nonchalant. "You're an excellent liar my dear,but a liar all the same. What do you say we make ourselves known." "You know him Amanda?" I call her Amanda sometimes when we are working so no one catches on we're related and blows our scam. "Of course I do, he's your father." I nearly choked on my latte. After I composed myself Amanda went into action.  
  
Duncan was patiently sipping his coffee at an outside café in Paris when he felt an all too familiar shock roll up his spine, slowly he instinctively scanned the crowd of tourists and restaurant patrons. He knew he was safe in public but he had to know whether the immortal was friend or foe. To his surprise it was a little of both, for who should it be but Amanda Montrose or was it Dupree (she had a habit of changing her name every decade or so). A low groan escaped Duncan's mouth as she made her way over to his table trailed by a rather frail but elegant looking teenager. The teenager was decidedly mortal and on closer examination beautiful in dark kind of way. Her hair was jet black like his, but curly as it flowed past her shoulders. Her clothes the latest from Ralph Lauren and immaculately creased for a teenager. Duncan smiled to himself, at the thought of Amanda realizing that this kid could stop traffic along street in Paris if she wanted to. Amanda had a funny habit of not hanging around women who could be more than fair competition for her. As for the girl's eyes a chic pair of black shades covered them. Duncan thought this was rather unusual because it was overcast that day.   
  
I put my shades on so he wouldn't see the expression on my face. I couldn't help but stare now I was looking at my father. I had a thousand questions for him and at the same time I couldn't say a word. I thought immortals couldn't have kids. I thought I'd been adopted. **He's my Father.**   
  
"Hello Duncan darling!" Amanda said, in her most exuberant and flirtatious voice. "How long has it been two, three decades I've missed you so." Duncan went pale when she said that and looked at the young girl. " Don't worry dear she knows all about us. Oh, let me introduce you. Duncan, Catherine; Catherine, Duncan. Catherine is my daughter." At this Duncan choked and gagged on his Almond flavored coffee, which caused both Catherine and Amanda's faces to beam with mischievous pleasure. "Your daughter? When did you become the motherly type?" "Duncan I've always been the type and especially now since Catherine is mine biologically." Duncan proceeded to gag again as Catherine removed her shades to reveal eyes that were exactly like Amanda's, in fact looking at her; she looked exactly like Amanda. " Perhaps we should find a more private place to discuss this, people are beginning to stare."  
  
After paying his bill and being forced into paying Amanda's bill the trio found themselves walking down a somewhat deserted street on the way to Duncan's barge. Duncan found himself staring at Catherine and thinking to himself that there was something else vaguely familiar about the girl's appearance, but right now he just couldn't put his finger on it. Duncan couldn't wait any longer to ask. "Amanda how could she possibly your biological daughter? Our kind can't have children." With that question Amanda got a little uneasy grin on her face. "Duncan I really think that we should talk about this behind closed doors." She shot a lighting fast glance to the man that was obviously following them. "You really don't know who could be listening or "watching"." Catherine shot Duncan a reassuring grin that told him that she really did know everything about them. When they reached the barge Catherine made herself quickly at home as if she belonged there. Duncan thought to himself, "If she really is Amanda's daughter she certainly has picked up one of Amanda's more irritating habits."  
  
I decided to pretend as if I knew everything Amanda was talking about,but most of her story was still a mystery to me as well. The best I could do was try and reassure a very amazed and somewhat gittery Immortal with my best smile. Mom was right I am a good liar.  
  
"Well Amanda explain this miracle to me or were you just pulling my leg." "Its rather a long story Duncan, but I guess its one you need to know after all its taken fifteen years for me to work up the courage to tell you." Amanda had an uneasy but dreamy look on her face. "Do you remember the last time I saw you Duncan?" "Yes, it was about twenty years ago I had to break you out the 101st Chicago precinct after your ex-boyfriend Wolf decided he'd had enough of immortals, immortality, and a thief for a girlfriend and decided to set you up for an art heist." Duncan was sorry he'd mentioned that it was obvious she was still smarting from that failed romance from the way her fair skin paled even more at the thought. "Well as you know I stopped my "hobby" for a while after that. What you don't know is that I went to college after that. I decided that I was going to change into a new Amanda. I received a master in Biology and Bachelors in genetics." (Duncan thought he was going to gag again, the thought of Amanda in somebody's class was funny but at the same time strangely scary.) Catherine giggled at the look on Duncan's face. "Don't worry Mr. Macleod she went back to being a thief when she got bored." Catherine teased. Duncan grinned, she was a charming child, and perhaps Amanda was doing something right for once.  
  
After college, Amanda said with a glare on her face directed at Catherine, I became a lab assistant at GenBio Corp. in Maine. At that time I met a new love interest Bradley More. He was a brilliant geneticist who accidentally found out I was immortal. (Duncan groaned) Since I was so in "love" at the time I allowed him to secretly run test on my cell structure. I was going to marry him Duncan but you know what a disaster that can be for us. " "Amanda, Duncan said in a rather disturbed voice, this story is getting rather long. Just answer my question, how can she be your daughter?" "Bradley and I engineered her in our lab." Duncan's jaw dropped. "Where's Bradley now?" "There was an accident in the lab during the process and Bradley was killed in the explosion. Fortunately Catherine wasn't harmed and I was able to disappear with her before some very awkward questions were asked, like how in the world did I survive when the rest of the complex was destroyed." At this Duncan turned to Catherine and offered his condolences to her having lost her father. He of all people could understand what it meant to loose family. At this Amanda began to get that all too familiar look that automatically signaled trouble for Duncan. "I never said that Bradley was the father, you see we were incompatible because immortals have a unique DNA structure." " Then who is Catherine's father?" " Do you remember that locket you gave me with a lock of your hair in it?" " You mean to tell me that…." " Yes, Catherine is your daughter too." Duncan looked at Catherine in awe and in an instant saw what had escaped him before, although she had Amanda's face, eyes, and build she also had his coloring and mannerisms. This revelation dizzied his mind and he abruptly fainted. "Well that went better than I expected mother, perhaps we should let him sleep on this for a while."   
  
And with that said they went to the kitchen to prepare dinner for Duncan they figured that he might want to put something in his stomach before deciding to take the ten or twelve Tequila shots that were sure to come.  
  
"I'm really finding this hard to believe professor, Scott said as he stared at Catherine, genetically engineered children, men and women who can live forever, its a little hard to swallow." "Why is it so hard to believe Scott? We've come across some rather strange characters in our own adventures." Beast said with a reassuring glance at Catherine. By this time Catherine was fully composed and rational and getting rather peeved at Scott's scepticism. "If you don't mind Scott can I finish my story." "You're not finished." "No smart ass I'm not." Catherine said in her most mocking tone. Bobby and Gambit were nearly on the floor trying to contain their laughter and Logan had an almost scary smile on his face. Even the professor had a slight grin that quickly vanished as he tried to compose Gambit and Bobby. Jean, Storm, and Rogue chastised me on my language. **You are definitely Amanda's daughter.** The professor said inside my head. "I know."  
  
  
Ok let me know if you like it. Flame me if you want, but please try to realize that I'm combining the children's television X-Man timeline and the highlander time line continued from the last show of the season. I brought Duncan back to Paris, taken the liberty of not killing off Richie, and choosing not to go into that whole Antartica, Operation Zero Tolerance, Gambit is a traitor thing. this is my story not a rehersal for a future job at Marvel or Ryhser Entertainment.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Part Three

Disclaimer: The X-Men and Highlander characters belong to their prospective owners and not me. I only wrote this fanfic for my own entertainment and I'm making no money so don't sue me. It would be a waste of time.  
  
  
Of Mutants and Immortals  
By Animefreek  
  
**denote thoughts  
  
  
Chapter six  
  
  
**This guy passed out on the couch is my dad? Gee, I thought I'd be doing the fainting if I ever met my biological parents. This guy has obviously watched "Camille" one too many times on American Movie Classics.** Catherine thought as she sat on the love seat adjacent to Duncan. "Is he awake yet?" Catherine was jarred from her thoughts by her mother's question. "No, he hasn't come back to the real world yet." Catherine tried not to sound coarse toward her mother, but it just came out that way. All of her life, up until that moment in the cafe, Catherine had thought that Amanda had never lied to her. She knew their relationship could never be "normal". After all Amanda was Amanda. She couldn't change what she was and she was a thief. Up until the cafe Catherine thought their relationship was built on complete honesty, at least between them.   
  
  
"Kate I know what you're thinking." Amanda said while sitting on the love seat next to her. "What, that I hate being called Kate or that you lied to me every single time I ever asked you about my birth parents." Catherine's voice was icy as she slid over to the other end of the couch. "Catherine I just wanted to protect you, I didn't know how Duncan would react to you. I still don't." Catherine was about give a very nasty retort to her mother's deductive reasoning when Duncan stirred on the couch. **I have a feeling my life is about to get much more complicated.** Catherine thought as Duncan swung himself upright on the couch.  
  
  
Duncan sat up, thinking that the events of the day were some sort of strange dream, but as he opened his eyes and saw Amanda and his "daughter" his delusion was shattered. **I have a daughter? This kid is my daughter or at least Amanda says she is. What do I do?** These were the only thoughts going through his head as he stared at the frail looking young woman sitting adjacent to him. Then he turned to Amanda, she had a lot of explaining to do the both of them according to the look on Catherine's face. Duncan had wanted a family so desparately, but this isn't the way he ever thought he'd get one. Amanda gave a little cough, which was Catherine's cue to turn in for the night. Reluctantly she said her good nights and went into Duncan's guest room.  
  
  
There was an intense staring contest for at least an hour or more. Catherine sat patiently listening at the foot of the guest room door, one of the advantages of being an immortal's daughter is that time is something taken for granted because immortals have so much of it. She had learned to be very patient. "Amanda why did you wait so long to tell me this?" Duncan asked hesitantly. "Honestly? I guess I wanted something all to myself. I've never had anything that was mine before, everything I have is stolen. Catherine was mine." Amanda's voice was cracking now, partly because of what she knew Duncan was about to say. "And you didn't steal her from me? All those years I could have been her father. You got to see her first steps, to hear her first words. What's left for me? I'm not even sure I should be her father or could." With that said Duncan walked out into the night and didn't look back. "Duncan where are you going?" "To think, stay here on the barge until I get back." Little did we know that we'd be in Paris for a month while Duncan "found himself again" in some secret hide away.  
  
  
So to make a long story short Amanda and I wiled away the month doing what we did best. I was still mad at her and didn't bother to hide it in public or private. Things came to a head between us in the park the day before Duncan decided to grace us with his prescence again.  
  
  
"Catherine please talk to me." Amanda demanded. "And say what mom, say that I forgive you for lying to me my entire life, that I forgive you for depriving me of a father!" "Catherine I can't ask you to forgive me and I won't, but I didn't want you to get hurt. The way you are now." Amanda looked down at her feet and there was an odd moment of silence between them. "Amanda? Why tell me now? If you didn't want me hurt why just blurt out something so important?" Catherine waited for an answer as Amanda stood looking at the skyline. "Because you need both of us now. You're going to be an immortal someday, you need him to teach you how to fight." **Its not like I wasn't expecting her to say something like this, I've suspected as much. Even back to my earliest memories. Amanda was so protective, more than any other normal mother. But then again who would dare call an immortal thief normal except for me?**  
  
  
"Whoa, so you are going to be immortal?" Bobby said scratching his head. "Yes Bobby." Catherine said in a motherly tone. "Who's this Methos dude and why is he after you any way?" Bobby was still scratching his head. Catherine would probably have to review the whole story again for him later. **I like this guy but we're gonna have to work on his comprehension skills.** Catherine thought to herself. The professor and Jean grinned. **I'm going to have to talk to those guys about eaves dropping in my thoughts too.**  
  
  
"Can I get back to my story now?" Catherine was starting to get irritated by the interuptions. "Could you speed it up? Some of us have work to do." Scott said with a smirk. Catherine quickly drew out her sword and raised the tip right between Scott's eyes. "Are you going to let me finish or do I have to use this thing?" Scott gulped, "I thought I confiscated that thing, how'd you get it back?" "One, don't think for a second that I don't have more than one, and Two, get a better security system for the boat house. It was too easy to get this back." Logan snorted down a laugh and so did Jubilee. Catherine brandished her sword around the room, "Any more interruptions? No. Good. I'll continue."   
  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
  
The next day Duncan returned. He was obviously accepting the truth of the situation and he quickly took me under his wing as soon as he noticed my potential immortality. Our first hand-to-hand combat lesson was quite amusing. He had assumed that Amanda hadn't taught me anything about self defense. After I floored him a couple of times he got over that idea. As for swordplay I caught on pretty fast, if I do say so myself.  
  
  
"Who is Methos? I mean this father daughter stuff is nice, but is it relevent to the story?" Said Bobby still confused. **I'm getting a headache.** Catherine rubbed her temples. "I'm getting to that Bobby dear." Catherine said trying to immitate her mother's most mocking tone.   
  
  
  
"As I was saying my dad and I were getting along fabulously and we decided to forgive Amanda after letting her stew in her own juices for while. We were getting along so well that he decided that it was time to introduce his friends to his daughter. Thats when all hell broke loose." Catherine said with an edge to her voice.   
  
  
Duncan decided to introduce me to his friend Joe Dawson first. Joe was definitely not what I expected as I met my first watcher face to face. He was actually pretty cool. "She's you what!" Joe said as he choking on scoth and bourbon. Duncan laughed and for the first time since this whole mess started I did too. "She's my daughter, Catherine Amanda Montrose." Duncan said not believing how nonchalant he sounded about it. Joe was still choking, Duncan had to pat his back and pour him something a little stronger. "Duncan come into my office. We have to talk." Joe said staring at Catherine. Duncan looked at Catherine and patted her on the head. She got the picture. "Go go I'll just sit out here and case the joint maybe I'll order a Long Island Ice Tea or something." Catherine smiled and gave Joe an innocent wink and gestured for them to leave. **I hope they knew I wasn't joking about the drink.** Catherine thought.  
  
  
  
After an hour and two long island Ice teas Catherine was a little tipsy and Joe and Duncan were peeved at the young bartender who served them to her. He obviously wanted a date and was willing to get her drunk first before asking. Joe exited his office acting like he was Catherine's father. She had never seen a man so interested in her life before it was one of the few times she was ever caught off guard. "Don't be too flattered he'll be writing this up in a report for the watchers, he just wants to get all the facts straight." Duncan said laughing. "Don't listen t'em, kid. There's no way I'm letting anybody in on this, you're my little secret." Joe said with a frightening gleam in his eye. "Well then Mr. Dawson if you're going to keep me I suggest we talk allowances, after all I'm a rather high maintenance girl." Catherine was almost as good a flirt as her mother. "She's definitely Amanda's alright!"  
  
  
Next on the list was Adam Pierceson AKA Methos. This is where the shit hits the fan. Methos wasn't as pleasantly surprised as Joe in fact he turned a ghastly shade of eggshell white at the sight of Catherine. Duncan wasn't aware of his friend's true feelings, but Catherine sensed something was wrong and was bracing herself as if lighting were going to strike where she stood.  
  
  
Methos stood staring at this miraculous freak of nature claiming to be the biological child of Amanda and Duncan. Looking at this girl he knew his number was coming up and he'd soon have to rejoin the game unless he could destroy her. **A daughter? This is breaking all the rules! How dare they! I won't have a child destroy me. I won't let Cassandra be right, not this time.**  
  
  
(flash back to the end of the four horsemen)  
  
  
Cassandra stood standing over a weakened Methos poised to take his head and have her revenge. "Cassandra Stop!" Duncan called from the walk way above. "Why! He should die. He betrayed and used me and when I gave him my heart he threw it away!" Cassandra snapped. "He deserves to die Duncan. He's used so many people, he's used you to do his dirty work for him, he knew he couldn't defeat Kronos so he used your chivalrous tendencies against you. He knew you'd play the hero and save the world once again." Duncan couldn't refute her arguement, he'd figured Methos' plan out too late and now he had to go along with it no matter the out come would be. "He save you Cassandra, doesn't that gain him a second chance? Or at least a repreive for now." It was all Duncan could think of to say. He knew if Methos had the chance or the strength Cassandra wouldn't stand a chance.   
  
  
  
"Cassandra, for me then, I'm tired of the killing." Cassandra looked at Duncan's youthful face and for ther first time in her life saw an immortal's true age. His eyes said it all. "Alright Duncan, but someday you'll come to regret this." Cassandra spat. Then Cassandra grabbed the weary Methos by the scruff of the neck and started to say something. At this same moment a jolt of energy went through her body and she saw the Destiny of Methos and smiled. Pulling Methos to eye level she spoke the words that he's never forget.  
  
  
"Your destiny is to die Methos so that one wiser can take your place. The child of two immortals shall take revenge for herself and for me. You'll cause your own destruction." With that said she walked away from Paris and out of Methos' world, at least for now. Methos turned pale. Duncan had no idea what Cassandra said but was glad she left.  
  
  
Methos sat quietly humoring his happy friend as Duncan doted over his daughter. He couldn't help staring at the girl.He sat wondering how could such a delicate looking creature could possibly be a threat. Catherine was starting to get edgey. ** Why is he staring at me like that? Its like he's never seen a teenager before.** Catherine smiled at Methos trying to seem sencere in her effort. She really wanted to leave it only she could think of an excuse. Then it hit her. "Dun--Dad, I have to get back to the barge! I promised to go shopping with mom and she'll kill me if I let her go over our budget again." The feigned distress in her voice was perfect and the thought of having to pay Amanda's shopping bills was enough to jar Duncan back into the real world and out of instant fatherhood. Methos smiled at Catherine knowing that this particular young lady would be somewhat of a challenge for him.   
  
  
Back at the barge Catherine was on edge as she told Amanda about her encounter with Adam (Methos). Amanda didn't like what she heard one single bit, Catherine wasn't the kind to assume anything. Her senses were too keen thanks to Amanda's training. Catherine and Amanda agreed that they should place a call to their friend Cassandra maybe she could clear up the situation. After all she was the only immortal who knew Methos intimately.  
  
  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
  
Cassandra was sitting in her penthouse in New York enjoying the view on the unusually clear morning when the phone rang. Cassandra wondered who could be calling her at such an early hour. It was Amanda. She should have known, maybe she and Catherine were back in town. Cassandra always liked visiting and shopping with her god-daughter. The happiness soon drained from the conversation after a few minutes. She couldn't believe Catherine's time had come so soon and she dreaded telling the girl and her mother of the prophecy that would soon dominate their lives.   
  
  
Amanda and Catherine hung up their phones as Cassandra's conversation ended and reality or what was left of it set in. Duncan had just come in from Joe's and was asking how their imaginary shopping trip went. Catherine wasn't the type to beat around the bush and just blurted out the whole story to Duncan and quickly wrapped her shaking arms around her father's waist. Duncan looked to Amanda for a slower version of the story.  
  
  
"There is no way Methos would ever buy something like that and try to hurt Catherine over it!" Duncan protested. Just then shots rang out from every corner of the barge. Catherine, Duncan, and Amanda lay huddled on the floor, slowly crawling towards the entrance when Amanda and Duncan felt an all too familiar surge of power behind their eyes. Their was an immortal on the barge. As the door creaked open Duncan and Amanda unsheathed their swords and took up defensive positions in front of Catherine. On the otherside was Methos brandishing his own sword to both of their surprise.  
  
  
Methos stepped into clear view and began to speak. "Duncan that child is an abomination you can get rid of her yourself and save all of us a lot of trouble or I can do it for you." Methos' voice was icier than usual, Catherine hid a shudder of fear. She stared down the immortal trying for something close to intimidation, he smiled at her. "You have two days Duncan, Amanda and then I take this into my own hands. If I have to come back into the game I will." Duncan and Amanda looked at each other as if speaking telepathically, they weren't about to kill their daughter.  
  
  
  
"Well thats the whole story. After Methos left the barge Duncan got on the horn with the professor and he agreed to let me come here. I'll finish my basic education here and train with you guys. Taking into consideration the fact that I'll become an immortal someday, hopefully later and not sooner, I have been given the option of becoming an X-Man by the professor." Catherine said matter-of-factly to her captive audience. From the look on the X-Men's faces she could tell they were still finding some of her story hard to swallow. "Where are Catherine's parents now Professor?" Scott asked. He could've asked Catherine that, but she decided to let it slide for now. "Duncan and Amanda have split up in an attempt to lure Methos away from Catherine. They thought it would be too risky for either of them to stay near Catherine, but Duncan has imformed me that a freind will be keeping watch from nearby."   
  
  
  
"Immortals, prophecies, and thieves. This is too strange even for us!" Jubilee proclaimed. "Well kid it's probably gonna get even stranger." Logan chimed in. "This aint the end of story by a long shot." Logan was right it wouldn't be over until either Methos or Catherine was dead. Catherine didn't like hiding from her problems but at the moment the Institute was the safest place, at least until Methos tracked her down and he would soon. She felt guilty about dragging the X-Men into her fight and it showed on her face. "We b'hin' ya won hunnard p'cent ma petite." Gambit said in his most charming, although overdone cajun accent. One by one the X-Men joined in his sentiment, even Jubilee and Scott. For the first time in a month Catherine felt safe.  
  
  
Halfway across the world in Greece Methos was hot on Amanda's trail and she was running out of ideas.  
  
  
  
  
Ok this took a long time because of school work and I got a little stuck. There will be a quickening soon but I'm not telling who. I changed the ending to the horsemen because this is my little world (insert evil laughter here). theres a lot of exposition but its necessary so there. I'd like to give credit where credit is due so thanks lesley and tosha for your input, and thanks Kevin for the suggestions. You'll see them soon.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Part Four

Disclaimer: The X-Men and Highlander characters belong to their prospective owners and not me. I only wrote this fanfic for my own entertainment and I'm making no money so don't sue me. It would be a waste of time.  
  
  
Of Mutants and Immortals  
By Animefreek  
  
**denote thoughts  
  
  
Chapter nine  
  
  
Amanda was running frantically through the streets of Athens searching for a place to hide. Methos was hot on her trail and gaining. She'd been dodging him for a week, all the time trying to convence him that Catherine was near by. She'd leave notes at random hotels and check a fictious Catherine into them. All the time wishing her daughter was really with her, she missed her dearly and wanted nothing more than to hold her.   
  
  
**I have to ditch him soon otherwise my head and my daughter are lost. I hope Cassandra is watching her god daughter.** Amanda thought as she ducked blindly into an alley. "Amanda!" A man's voice from behind her. "There's no use in running, stand down and accept your fate."  
  
  
In the distance bystanders heard the clanging of metal and suddenly an explosion racked its way up the alley. A headless body was lying in the alley.  
  
  
  
Back at the Institute Bobby and Catherine were in the danger room. They were practicing their team work skills (and Bobby was showing off) when Scott abruptly ended the session and told Catherine that she had a phone call from a Mr. Dawson. Catherine got a weird sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. When she walked into the war room Joe was waiting on the video phone.  
  
  
"Joe whats up? Hows things in the world of watchers?" Catherine was trying not to look at Joe the expressiion on his face was too dire. "If its not good news Joe I don't need it."  
  
  
Joe liked to see Catherine so at ease and hated the fact that he had to relay bad news her way. He braced himself and let it fly. " Catherine I have some news for you. We last spotted your mother in Greece and apparently Methos was on her tail."  
  
  
"Joe spit it out. Is my mother dead or alive?" Catherine spat in a matter of fact way. Joe had admire her resolve, Amanda trained her well, maybe too well. Children should be children especially sixteen year olds.  
  
  
"Catherine I don't know, your mother and Methos were spotted in Greece but the body that was left is unidentifiable. And since immortals don't have dental or medical records theres no way of identifying the body." Joe was really hating being a watcher, right now if he had his way Methos would be staring down the barrel of his gun and Catherine would have her new family back.   
  
  
"What about her watcher, didn't he see what happened?" Catherine wanted to hang up the phone, how dare he tell her this where was Duncan.  
  
  
"Amanda ditched him and no one knows that Methos is really Adam, at least not yet. We don't know if it was even Methos in the alley with Amanda. I just thought you should know just in case." Joe could see the stress on the girl's face and immediately regretted calling.  
  
  
"Thanks Joe." Catherine's voice was smaller now. "But until someone can tell me for sure that Amanda is dead, she's alive and I won't take anything else as a possibility." Catherine had to be the strong one. Joe was under a lot of pressure and seeing her cry would only make things worse. "She's alive Joe and we'll get Methos off my tail no matter what, but you have to keep your part of the bargain. Exposing him as an immortal would only make him mad and bolder. If he were exposed he'd have nothing to lose and we'd lose our edge."  
  
  
Joe had to admire her composure. How a sixteen year old kid could possibly be so cool was beyond him. "Okay little lady I'll keep you updated. Bye." Catherine let her head drop to her lap when Joe's face disappeared from the screen. She rubbed her temples and wished that she could see her mom and dad.   
  
  
Scott and Bobby were listening from the hall. "I have to be out of my mind to let you talk me into eaves dropping on Catherine's conversation." Scott said glaring at Bobby. "Drake you're a bad influence."  
  
  
"Hey if we're gonna help her we've got to find out all the info right. Anyway she's not talking and neither is the prof." Bobby smiled and started to walk into the war room. Scott walked towards the kitchen to get something to drink. **That kid is trouble and this is going to blow up. Immortals, and pre-immortals, and prophecies. This is too much.** Scott thought as he entered the kitchen. Jean was there to give him a mental nudge about his attitude. He seriously didn't like Catherine and for the life of her she didn't know why. The rest of the team was warming up to her quite nicely even Jubilee.  
  
  
  
Back in the war room Catherine was sobbing on Bobby's shoulder. Bobby liked Catherine very much and since she came to the mansion everybody seemed to be having more fun. She had this kind of free spirit that dared you not to laugh when she was at her most lively. She made a sport out of teasing Scott and even the prof. had to laugh at her enthusiasim. Now she was this fragile kid wondering whether or not her mother was dead. He felt awful for her, but what could he possibly say to make her feel better. He could only think of one thing to say. "Catherine I love you."  
  
  
Logan was walking by the war room and heard Bobby's confession. **Kid what are you getting yourself into?** He quickly left before he was noticed. **Popsicle and I are gonna hav ta talk. He has no idea what he's gettin inta.**   
  
  
Catherine was in shock. She was completely, but pleasantly caught off guard. Then reality set in. "Bobby you don't know what you're saying or asking." She said flatly. "It'll never work and it isn't just my age."  
  
  
Bobby was ready to argue but she cut him off. "Bobby, immortals and mortals or even pre-immortals like me don't work. For all I know I could die and become immortal tomorrow and then what. I'll look sixteen forever."  
  
  
"I wouldn't mind you looking the way you do now forever." Said Bobby with a smile. "Its not that simple Bobby." Catherine said with a sneer.   
  
  
"Imagine being with someone who never changed never grew old. It hurts. Even for me, especially for me. I'm going to have to watch the people I love die. I may even have to kill my own father or mother. So for both our sakes let this idea go." Catherine stalked out of the room feeling bad not only for Bobby, but for herself. She felt the same way about Bobby.  
  
  
** This can't be happening to me. To us. He can't love me, I won't let him.** She walked right by Logan and Hank, not noticing the concerned looks on their faces and right into Ororo.  
  
  
**Great this is all I need, the weather witch asking questions. Just brush her off and go for a walk to clear your head.** "What is the matter child did someone say something to offend you?" Storm was concerned, Catherine had been very cheerful the last few weeks and now she seemed aged. "If you need to talk child I am here." She said in her most motherly voice.  
  
  
"Maybe later. I just really need to be alone right now. I wish my mom were here but for all I know she may be dead and my dad who knows." With that Catherine walked out the bay doors and into the garden. **Oh Bobby, why'd you have to go and ruin things? I could explain my reasons a million times over and you still couldn't grasp the gravity of this situation. Everyone that I love is going to die before me.** As she was thinking and walking she felt the pressence of someone behind her. She quickly dried her eyes and turned around.  
  
  
A young man who seemed to be in his early twenties stood before her. His brown eyes and sandy blonde hair gave him the appearance of being younger. He stuck out his hand to her and she hugged him. "Richie what are doing here? Not that it isn't great to see you." Catherine nearly smiled and she would have if her day wasn't going to hell in a hand basket. "I'm watching you while Mac is leading Methos on another wild goose chase. I never thought the guy would lose it like this." Richie said scratching his head.  
  
  
"How'd you get past the mansion's defenses? Never mind I'm forgetting that I'm not the only thief around." Catherine smiled now. "You have to come in and meet the others. They've never actually met a full immortal before and I'm sure Hank would love to run some tests on you." Richie cringed and Catherine began laughing at the expression on his face. Richie nodded after getting the "joke" and let Catherine lead him into the rec room.  
  
  
Most of the X-Men were assembled there already. News gets around fast especially if someone's upset. Richie was obviously nervous as his friend led him into a thicket of mutants. He'd never met any mutants before and these mutants were powerful and knew about immortals. Intimidation was not the word for what he was feeling. Catherine leaned into his shoulder and whispered into his ear. "They won't bite I swear." "You promise." Richie quips.  
  
  
Richie poured on the charm for the ladies and Jubes was drooling the entire time. Logan on the other hand was playing the protective father and keeping Jubes and Richie a good distance away from each other. Hank wanted to run some tests on Richie, his scientific curiousity taking over. Bobby was giving Richie the evil eye, she would have to explain that to Richie later. Scott was basically interrogating him especially about the security system. The Professor, Charles when Scott wasn't around, was very stoic I'm guessing he knows how Bobby feels about me.  
  
  
"So Ryan where are you staying?" Scott said in his most authoritative voice. "I can't say right now but I'll be near by with a friend, she has a stake in this too." Richie said trying to loosen up the mood and failing miserablely. Catherine shot him a look that said "He's a prick, deal with it, I do." Richie looked at his watch and announced he had to leave and that he'd be in touch. Catherine walked him out. Hugging him she slipped him her cell phone number and told him to call her later. It was nice to forget about her worries for a little while.  
  
  
In an estate a mile away Cassandra was waiting for Richie to return. She had had one of her visions and it wasn't good. She'd seen Amanda fighting with an immortal but whether or not she'd won was still unknown to her. She could feel Methos' prescence getting closer to Catherine.   
  
  
Richie strolled into the newly bought Westchester estate wondering how Cassandra had managed to accumulate so much money. Then again she's been around for almost as long as Methos, immortals who played their cards right never had to worry about jobs or money. Too bad he wasn't one of them. He'd had to resort to petty crimes since his racing accident, it was a good thing that Amanda had taken him under her wing. He hated the idea of having to go to Duncan for another loan. It was really embarassing especially since he gave Duncan that big speech about being independant.  
  
  
"Richie, how is Catherine? Is she being treated well?" Cassandra sounded worried and with good reason. Professor Xavier's reputation had preceded him in more ways than one. From what she could find out about the Institute through normal channels the school was for gifted children, but in other circles she found out that the school was a front for a renegade band of mutants called the X-Men. Their mission was to promote peace between norms and mutants but more often than not they usually only suceeded in diffusing small situations and went largely unnoticed by the media unless it was pictures of them fighting.  
  
  
"She's fine, physically at least, she did seem a little shaken when I found her. I think its because of Joe's phone call. It could be something else though." Richie smirked.  
  
  
"Like what?" Cassandra frowned. " I don't know yet but I'll call her tonight. She looked like she needed to talk to someone who really knows her." Richie's voice was a little more sober now.   
  
  
Catherine and Richie were more like brother and sister than anything else. When Amanda took Richie in he became the second apprentice under her mentorship. At first it was hard for him swallow his pride and take orders from Catherine, but he soon fell into line when Catherine's quick thinking saved him from getting caught on his first professional hiest. Catherine was as good a thief as her mother and since she was going to be an immortal someday she'd have time to improve her techniques. It surprised him even more when Duncan and Amanda told him the truth about Catherine, no wonder she was so bossy, she got it from both sides of her family.  
  
  
After dinner Cassandra decided to pay a surprise visit to her god daughter. She wanted to see first hand how the X-Men were treating her little one. The X-Men were quite surprised at the "sudden increase" in immortals they were meeting lately. Cassandra was her usual regal self, perfectly groomed and utterly mysterious at all times. Catherine grinned as her godmother charmed the room all the while sizing up each of the X-Men. The men were totally charmed, even Remy, to the annoyance of Rogue.   
  
  
"Professor I hope my god- daughter isn't too much of a hand full for you. She has a tendency to try a saint's patience on the best of days." Cassandra grinned evilly at Catherine and Catherine returned the look with a mock glare. "She's always been a most inquisitive child. I can imagine she's had a lot of questions for you when she's studying." The professor nodded and replied that Catherine was doing quite well in her studies and that he wished another teenager in the house would use her as an example. Jubes glared at Catherine. "Its not my fault you don't study." Catherine announced. The group laughed. Now it was Catherine's turn to talk.  
  
  
"Cassandra, have you heard from my mother yet?" Cassandra was waiting for that question all night and didn't want to answer it, but her Catherine never took silence for an answer. "No, dear and I'm taking that as a good sign. Your mother is too much of a professional to risk you by calling me, even if Methos doesn't know we're connected." Cassandra said roughly. She didn't want to be harsh, but life for immortals was harsh and violent at times. She saw no need in sugar coating things. The other X-Men, especially Bobby, glared at her. **Good they're protective of her, that'll help. She needs to live to a proper age. Teenage immortals are usually the first to die because they're not fully developed. Hmm the tall blonde seems to have a crush on my girl, good for you Catherine. Perhaps some distraction is just what the doctor ordered.**   
  
  
Cassandra took her leave of the X-Men after some more pleasent conversation and securing her belief that her little one was in good hands. Catherine again turned into the sober and aged sixteen year old she was a few hours earlier and went to her room to wait for a phone call from Richie. The X-Men, excluding Jubilee, had some things to talk over in the Professor's office.  
  
  
"Professor, Scott chimed in, this is getting a little unreal. In two days we've met two immortals and learned many things that some of wish we hadn't." "Speak for yourself bub! The kid's not hurting anybody and cept for you she gets along with evr'ybody." Logan snarled with his cigar in his mouth.  
  
  
"Don't start with me Logan, she has no discipline or respect for authority. She belongs somewhere else." Scott snarled back. Jean was about to interject when Bobby stood up.  
  
  
"If you don't want her here Scott give us a better reason than that. If thats the only reason for you wanting her out I should have been kicked out years ago. Whats the deal? Why don't you like her?" Bobby was giving him a look that none of the other X-Men had ever seen on his face. He looked as though he was ready to kill.   
  
  
**He's got it bad.** Remy, Logan, and Hank all thought at the same time.  
  
  
"You really want to know. Fine. The scientist that brought Catherine into this world was my best friend. He died in that explosion! He didn't deserve that, he had everything and more going for him. She caused the death of one on my dearest friends." Scott stormed out of the office and Jean followed.  
  
  
The rest of the X-Men filed out of the office one by one. Hank, Logan, and, Remy grabbed Bobby and pulled him outside into the garden. Hank started off the conversation. "Robert it cannot and could not possibly work, she's too young and her life is too complicated." Hank tried to sound scientific about the matter but he ended up sounding more like Bobby's father. Logan on the other hand knew how Bobby felt, he didn't even know how old he was so every woman he ever fell in love with could be too young for him. Catherine was a different matter all together her life was going to be more complicated than anyone in the X-Men could even imagine. Remy was, to say the least, amused by the situation. If it weren't for the age difference Rogue would have a run for her money.  
  
  
"Don't even start with me Hank, she's different and you know it, normal rules don't apply to her." Bobby said waving his hands in Hank's face trying to leave the group of men. "Robert it won't work. She's too different, surely she explained what might happen if she were to undergo a relationship with you." Hank was his best friend and was trying his best to disuade him from the path he'd chosen.  
  
  
"What da petite tink o'dis homme? She got ta have a say in dis too." Remy chimed in. Bobby's face sank. "She said it wouldn't work. She said it'd be too painful for the both of us even if we tried to make it work." Bobby said reluctantly. "Den dere's ya anser homme, leave it alone, she got enuf problem without you." Gambit said sympathetically to his friend. Bobby looked over at Logan. "Well what about you, whats your sage advice?" Bobby sniped at Logan. "Do what ya want bub, but make sure the kid wants it too." With that said Logan walked off into the garden and lit his cigar.  
  
  
"Guys I know you mean well, but I have to talk to Catherine. We have to figure this thing out on our own." Bobby walked back towards the mansion alone.  
  
  
Upstairs Catherine was lying on her bed and reviewing the past two days in her head. She was relieved to know that Cassandra and Richie would be nearby and her training was progressing fast. The danger room program she designed was working wonderfully, she'd never had such a thorough workout before. On the other hand thoughts of Bobby kept creeping into her head. She'd had crushes before, but nothing like this. **I wish my mom were here, she'd know what to do. Mom knows men better than anyone I know, she'd tell me what to do. Maybe I should talk to the prof. or Jean. Maybe not, Jean she has enough on her hands, dealing with everyone else's sanity. I know I'll call Cassandra.** With that decision made she picked up the phone and called her godmother.  
  
  
"My dear what is the problem? If you feel the same way about him go with it. After all in a few years you'll be an immortal and time and age will start to mean very little to you. Find love, real love, where ever you can. Immortals have all the time in the world but our lives can be very lonely." Cassandra was sincere in her advice but worried. ** I hope she doesn't get hurt. I hope he really loves her.**  
  
  
"Cassandra are you sure about this? What if this all blows up in my face. What if this turns ugly? What about the other students, what if they don't..."  
  
  
Cassandra cut Catherine off. "What if the world blows up and the sun goes black. Life is full of " what ifs". What if you miss out on the love of your life?"  
  
  
"What if I die tomorrow?" Catherine said coldly. "What if you live? Whatever you do it's your decision." Cassandra hung up the phone. Catherine was wondering how she was going to talk to Bobby. Whatever she decided it was going to wait until tomorrow and she was going to get some sleep.  
  
  
  
In Louisiana Duncan was wondering how his daughter was doing and whether or not he should try to get a message to Richie.   
  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
  
Louisiana was the perfect place for an immortal. It was one of the few places left where mortals didn't ask too many questions when one of the town residents didn't seem to age in a decade or two. Duncan was sitting in the Cafe Demonde sipping a mug of hot chocolate. It was a pleasent enough distraction considering the trouble he'd been through the past two weeks.  
  
  
He'd managed to find a young actress who would play the role of Catherine and not ask a lot of questions. He made it well worth her while. Besides what he was paying her to play his daughter, she got the added perk of impromptu shopping sprees and some very public appearences with uppercrust of New Orleans society. He hated using the poor girl but his own daughter had to be protected. Miss Morgan was a talented young woman and Duncan found himself at times thinking of her as Catherine. After this was all over he'd make a few calls and Miss Morgan would get a scholarship from Juliard.   
  
  
The sound of a carriage passing and the blarring of a New Orleans cab's horn brought Duncan from his revelry. "Dad!" Miss Morgan yelled from across the street. Duncan started to go over to her. "No I'll come to you, I could use a cup of coffee." She yelled across the busy street. As she was crossing the street he felt a familiar surge under his skin and heard the screech of tires against the pavement. There was no time to react and Duncan was at a loss for words. A black Camary barreled down the street and sent Miss Billie Morgan hurtling into the on coming traffic killing her in one of the worst accidents of the year. Duncan's stomach sank as he saw the driver of the Camary, Methos.   
  
  
Methos already knew that the young woman wasn't the elusive Catherine, but Duncan needed to be taught a lesson. Duncan needed to know that the world's oldest immortal wasn't ready to die just yet.  
  
  
Catherine woke up in a cold sweat from her fitful slumber. The dream she had was so vivid. She saw someone who looked like her walking across a busy street, only to be run down by a car. The driver of the car is what scared her the most, it was Methos. **Haven't I got enough to think about, now I have a stranger's blood on my hands as well. I hate hiding I wish I could fight!** Catherine's head was screaming from the migrane she was having and from other thoughts, most of which were about Bobby.  
  
  
Scott and Jean were in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Neither of them had spoken to each other since the meeting in Xavier's office and Scott had blocked there telepathic link. "It wasn't her falt, you know that." Jean said softly. "I know but she isn't susposed to be here, she's not susposed to exist. That immortal woman defied nature and ended up killing an entire complex of people." Scott proclaimed. They hadn't noticed Catherine standing in the door.  
  
  
"If you have a problem with me, you should tell me. You could've saved us both a lot of problems. If I'm not really welcome here then I'll take my chances somewhere else." Catherine said coldly. Scott had to admire her courage but thats where the admiration stopped. He didn't think much of the girl or her carefree life.   
  
  
"Of course you're welcome here Catherine." Jean interjected. Scott walked away to set the table. "Scott will come around. He just needs some time to get use to you."  
  
  
"Get use to me? I'm the one who needs to use to all of this. One day I'm a somewhat normal teenager the next day I'm hiding from a mad man who wants to kill me, and a man in his mid-twenties tells me he loves me!" Catherine blurted out. She was expecting Jean to be surprised, then she remembered that Jean has known Bobby since he was a teenager. "Your not surprised?"  
  
  
"No. I noticed the first day you got here that he had a crush on you." Jean smiled sweetly. "And you don't see anything wrong with that." Catherine was getting confused. "I didn't say that. I'm just saying I know. To tell you the truth I'm worried about the both of you." Jean was completely serious now. "Bobby hasn't had the greatest luck with women and your life is, to say the least, chaos."  
  
  
"Thats what I tried to explain to Bobby, but he's got it in his that he loves me and whats worse I know I love him." Catherine said matter of factly. "It can't work and its not just my age. My mom and dad wouldn't care about our ages, heck I don't really care. Its the fact that he's going to have to learn that he can't protect me. Its a part of the rules of the game."  
  
  
"What are the rules?" Jean quaried. Catherine took a deep breath and started to explain.  
  
There are basically four rules that must be followed:  
  
1. There can be only one.  
2. The old tutor the new.  
3. All fights are one on one.  
4. No fighting on holy ground.  
  
There is another rule, but more and more immortals where ignoring, don't envolve mortals or let them know of our existace. Duncan and Amanda broke this rule on the regular basis.   
  
  
"You see Jean sooner or later I'm going to die. Granted I won't look my age, but I know I probably won't be the last. It'll probably be an immortal like Duncan or his kinsman Conner. How's Bobby going to feel when one day I accept a challenge and I don' t come back?" Catherine had never felt so sad. The thought of hurting Bobby was horrible. Almost as horrible as the thought of Methos finding her. She wasn't ready for the fighting yet, not by a long shot.  
  
  
Back in New Orleans Methos had disappeared from the chaos of the car "accident" and was headed toward Duncan's hotel. "Mr. Macleod and I are going to have a little talk. He can either tell me where the child is or I can take his head, either way she's mine."  
  
  
Duncan regretted it but there would be too many questions if he claimed to young girl's body right now. How could he possibly explain the reason for hiring her to impersonate his daughter? The only thing he could do was pack and leave New Orleans. He'd have to claim her body later.   
  
  
While Duncan was in his room packing Methos had just entered the hotel lobby. Methos casually strolled up to the hotel clerk and gave her his most charming smile. "Excuse me could you tell me if my cousin Duncan Macleod has checked in yet?" He used his most European accent to charm the obviously naive young woman. She smiled timidly and he realized she was right where he wanted her. "Uhm yes, he just came in, I believe he's just about to check out." She said trying to cover up her deep accent. "Could you tell me what room he's in?" The clerk looked down at her nails sheepishly. "Come on, I won't tell anybody you broke the rules, just this once." He said while caressing her cheek. The young clerk was mush.   
  
  
"Mr. Macleod is in room 220 east." The clerk said. "Thank you my dear." Methos said as he started to turn and leave. It was definately his lucky day, for just as he was about to ascend the stairs there stood Duncan. "Cousin, Methos said trying to keep up his charade, its been too long, after you check out we must go somewhere private and talk." Duncan knew the last thing Methos wanted to do was have a friendly talk.  
  
  
The charade was dropped as soon as the two men left the hotel. Duncan was fuming at the audacity of the ancient, passing himself off as a "kinsman". "Why so mad Duncan?" Methos said smiling like the cat that swallowed the canary. "You have your nerve Methos. You stalk Amanda and I for a month, trying to kill us at every turn, and now you sit at this table with me like you just didn't kill someone in cold blood." Duncan's voice was low in an almost growl.   
  
  
"Duncan everything can go back the way it was between the three of us when the child is dead." The cold in Methos' voice made Duncan shudder inside. "I don't want to die Duncan and I don't want to be in the game again. Simply hand her over and we can live our lives again." If Duncan could have killed with a look, Methos would be dead. His friend had gone mad or maybe he already was. "Do you hear yourself man? Your asking me to be my daughter's executioner. I can't and won't sacrifice my own flesh and blood so that you can have a few extra years." Duncan's flesh was beginning to crawl.  
  
  
"I'm not asking you to execute her, I'm asking you to had her over to me, so that I can execute her. Its the only way to avoid my predicted fate." Methos said with a gleam in his eye. **The years have driven him mad.** Duncan thought. "Maybe Cassandra was right, maybe I should have let her kill you." **Hhmm, how did Cassandra get into this conversation? You made your first mistake Mr. Macleod.** Methos thought as a wide grin appeared on his face. Duncan knew he made a mistake in that instant. "Goodbye Duncan we'll meet again soon." With that said Methos casually stood and glided out of the restaurant.   
  
  
  
The phone rang in Professor Xavier's office. "Hello. Oh hello Duncan. I see. When can we expect you and your freind? Should I tell Catherine your coming? Alright I'll wait until tommorow. Until then, goodbye Duncan." The phone call was brief but Xavier could sense the tension and stress that his longtime friend was feeling. He'd felt the same way the many times his X-Men were in trouble. They were his children.  
  
  
Duncan placed a call immediately to Joe Dawson after his "talk" with Methos. His worst fears were confirmed. "Adam Pierceson" had used the Watcher database to track down Cassandra and was headed to New York. Joe and Duncan decided to connect in Chicago and book it to Westchester. Charles and the X-Men needed to know everything they could about Methos. Even super powered mutants would have problems with an obsessed immortal. They had a habit of coming back after being killed. It was time to take the defensive.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Part Five

Disclaimer: The X-Men and Highlander characters belong to their prospective owners and not me. I only wrote this fanfic for my own entertainment and I'm making no money so don't sue me. It would be a waste of time. I have one little curse word in this so deal.  
  
  
Of Mutants and Immortals  
By Animefreek  
  
**denote thoughts  
  
  
Chapter Eleven  
  
  
Catherine and Remy were in the Danger Room fine tuning her sym program. Remy wanted to see what real swordplay was all about. He definitely got more than he bargained for. His reflexes were nowhere as sharp as Catherine's with a sword and he soon gave that up and starting charging up his cards. "Don't give up so soon, Gambit you were doing great." Catherine said encouragingly. "It takes a lot of training and patience to use a broad sword. You're not going to get use to it on the first try, believe me. Every muscle in my body ached for a week after my first training session with Dad."  
  
  
"Well Gambit stick to de cards, dey lite and easy to hide." Gambit said with a grin. Catherine laughed as the sym program moved to the second level. The first level was an open warehouse environment with lots of space to dive and duck into. The second level was a small sparsely furnished apartment. "Why dis place petite?" "Duncan says an immortal has to be ready to fight in any environment. He says there's been many times he's had to fight in a cramped hotel room or even a freight elevator." Just then the first opponent for the level stepped out. A tall sandy blonde Norsemen. He was wearing biker clothes and carrying a battle axe. "He's pretty ugly petite. Ow you tink him up?" "Amanda stole a gold crucifix from him, she had to take his head." Gambit was stunned by Catherine's coolness. He was about to ask her about her mother when the biker attacked.   
  
  
Gambit watched as Catherine's face steeled as she took on her sword stance. The biker slashed across the small apartment knocking over a table and chairs. Gambit could hardly move in the cramped space and marveled at how Catherine seemed to glide through it. She said that her mother was one of the world's best thieves and from the way Catherine moved he believed it. Catherine dodged and weaved under the big biker with ease. The next thing she did he wasn't ready for. As Catherine dodged under the man once again she jumped up on a nearby coffee table and took the sym's head off with her sword. The sym abruptly ended.   
  
  
Catherine noticed Gambit's face. "This is my life or at least a part of it, Remy. I don't like the idea of killing anything and I'd much rather not, but its either me or them." Gambit knodded in agreement. "So tell me petite, when Gambit get t'meet de fam'ly?" "When Gambit learns to use a sword." Catherine teased. "My mom would really like you. One thief to another that is." Catherine and Gambit strolled out of the Danger room and headed towards the kitchen. They'd both worked up and appetite and wanted to finish off last night's gumbo. As they were passing the rec room Catherine thought she saw a familar face out the corner of her eye.   
  
  
"Some greeting that is. Ya come to a guy's bar and have a couple of ice teas and ya never see him again."  
  
  
"Oh my God Joe! What are you doing here? Please tell me its good news." Catherine's was estatic and her face was pleading. Catherine saw the look on Joe's face and her smile dimmed slightly. She hugged him and kissed him on his cheek. "So what happened?" Joe recanted the whole story and Duncan's change in tactics. "So the hunter becomes the hunted." Catherine smirked. "Yeah its about time if you ask me. He's gone off the deep end and there's no retrieving him." Joe said with a lump in his throat.   
  
  
"I know he was your friend. I'm sorry I caused all this." Catherine said into his ear. "Not your fault kid. Time just gets to some immortals, even the best of them." Joe hugged Catherine close as he said this. "Where's my Dad?" Catherine asked. "He's with Professor Xavier he'll be out in a second."   
  
  
Duncan was talking with his old friend and inquiring about Catherine's mental state. The professor said she was fine considering some of the recent goings on in the mansion. He decided to go into detail about Catherine and Bobby's entanglement and Scott's feelings concerning her. Duncan wasn't pleased at all in either case. "Where is Catherine now?" Charles closed his eyes and scanned the mansion. "She's in the rec room with Mr. Dawson."   
  
  
Back in the rec room Catherine decided to introduce Joe to the surrounding X-Men. "Joe, this is Remy Lebeau, Rogue, and Logan. The rest of the guys are in a training session. You'll probably meet them at dinner. You are staying in the mansion right?" Catherine looked worried. If Methos killed that poor girl in New Orleans, what would he do to a friend? "Yeah, we can catch up and maybe I can play a couple a tunes for you babe." Joe grinned at the possibility of having a captive audience. Catherine hated being called babe but since it was Joe she let it slide once in awhile. Logan half smiled, Remy grinned as he caught the shock in Joe's eyes at seeing someone with red on black eyes, and Rogue gave him a dazzling smile that would melt butter.   
  
  
Just then Duncan walked in and his eyes lit up as he saw his daughter. He couldn't believe how much he had missed her. Catherine almost knocked him down. She was so glad to see her father. She loved saying that, "father". "Joe told me about New Orleans. Are you alright?" Catherine was worried, her father didn't look well at all. She could tell this situation was tearing him apart. One of his best friends has gone completely mad and the mother of his child is missing, more than likely dead. "Darling you look wonderful, just like your mother." Duncan was on the verge of tears. "Dad why don't I take you to your room and we can talk." Duncan marveled at how strong his daughter was, he acreditted it to youth. He himself was on the verge of breaking down and she seemed like an oak. ** I have to be strong for the both of us for the moment. I'lll cry later.** Catherine thought.  
  
  
Duncan wasn't in the mood to eat but he wanted to meet the other X-Men, especially Scott and Bobby. For the most part dinner was quiet casual conversation ruled the room. "So petite , Remy started, tell me bout ya mama Amanda. She sounds like a and full." Catherine smiled and began. "Well, where do I start with Amanda? She's a thief, the best around. I've been her apprentice since I could walk. (Duncan grimmaced, he didn'tl like the idea of his daughter being a thief.) We've pulled off quite a few capers that would have sent any other thief to jail for the rest of thier lives. But of course since meeting Duncan Amanda and I have gone into "retirement." You'd absolutely love her, she's so full of life and always up to something that Dad wouldn't approve of." Catherine was beaming as she always did when she talked about her mother. "Dat sounds familiar petite. Your mama sounds like you." Gambit said laughing.  
  
  
**Hhmmm, thier really is honor among thieves after all.** Duncan thought to himself. He decided to shake up the table a little bit. "So Mr. Lebeau how long have you been a thief?" Duncan said with a grin that rivaled Catherine's. Gambit nearly choked on his wine.  
  
  
"How you know I usta be a tief? Nobody here tell you dat." Gambit said still slightly choking.   
  
  
Duncan smiled. "I'm 408 years old and Amanda is at least 1200. I know a thief when I see one." Gambits eyes were wide.  
  
  
"Petite you didn't tell me ya papa was older than dirt." It was Remy's turn to grin. Duncan gave him a slight glare and the rest of the X-Men including Catherine laughed until they turned red. Duncan joined in after a couple of minutes.   
  
  
Remy and Duncan's comradery seemed to dispell the air of tension the room. Joe was having a very pleasent conversation about the "Watchers" with the professor and Beast looked as though he wanted to ask Duncan if he would allow him to run a few tests. Bobby was making goo goo eyes at Catherine and she found herself making them back a couple of times until her senses came back to her. Duncan caught the exchange and gave Bobby a stare that would have given the oldest of immortals a chill. Bobby gulped and Catherine elbowed Mac.  
  
  
After Dinner Duncan thought he'd take Mr. Drake for a drink at the local bar and see just where Bobby's mind was concerning his little girl. Bobby was looking around for help when Duncan asked him out for a drink. He wasn't immortal and was willing to bet a sword thru the heart hurt like hell. **I'd better go. If I don't he'll think I'm some kind of coward or worse a pervert. Heck, he probably thinks that already!** Bobby had broken out into a sweat to the delight of Duncan.  
  
  
At the bar Duncan and Bobby were sitting in a quiet corner booth sipping their beers. Niether of them had said a word in the car on the way over and Bobby was wondering whether or not he should start off the conversation. He didn't have long to wonder, Duncan made the first move.  
  
  
"Bobby. Can I call you Bobby?" Bobby nodded. "I just learned that I had a daughter a little over a month ago and to make things more complicated she's going to become an immortal. Do you understand what that means? She could die tomorrow and look sixteen for the next three hundred or more years. Or whats even worse is that Methos could find her and end her life before it even begins. I'm not telling you this to scare you away from her. I'm just letting you know that if you pursue this that the both of you are going to be hurt. If not sooner then later. Immortals hurt everyone they come in contact with, especially mortals who love them." Duncan's eyes dropped as he began to think briefly of Amanda. Not knowing whether she was dead or alive was taking its toll on him. Keeping his daughter alive and sane was his main concern now.  
  
  
"Duncan she's told me all of this. I still love her. I know I can't protect her from other immortals or her own immortality, but I still want to be with her. I've had my share of bad relationships and I'm no stranger to being hurt. I promise you I will stay by her side no matter what happens." Bobby's convictions came thru in his voice.  
  
  
"Will you be there for her after you see her kill? That's what she'll have to do eventually, we all do. I've known Charles for years and I know where he stands on the value of human life. He wouldn't have chosen any of you to be on his team if you didn't have the same views." Duncan had made a strong point but he was hoping Bobby's convictions were stronger.  
  
  
"I'll be there for her, no matter what." Bobby whispered. "Does she love you?" Duncan asked. "I think so. She has a hard time showing it sometimes. She doesn't want to hurt me." Bobby stated.  
  
  
Duncan looked down into his beer. He had just discovered his daughter and he was going to loose her to another man already. "Lets go Bobby. You have a lot to talk about with Catherine." **Is he giving me his permission to see his daughter?** Bobby asked himself. "Bobby if you hurt her I'll kill you." Ducan said coldly. **I guess I have my answer.**  
  
  
Back at the mansion Catherine was showing Joe around. The Professor had given her his permission to show Joe the lower levels, much to Scotts disapproval. Joe was, to say the least, empressed. The technology they were using was years beyond anything he'd seen, almost "alien". After the tour Joe decided to get to know the ladies of the house a little better. Jubilee was charmed and won over by a few magic tricks, while Jean, Rogue, and Ororo enjoyed Joe's blues guitar playing. Catherine thought to herself that Amanda would like the other X-ladies. In a way they had all been her family while Amanda and Duncan were gone. Even Jubilee was beginning to warm up to her.   
  
  
A couple of days ago they had gone to the mall together. Catherine had to get Jubilee out of that yellow jacket. They had actually ended up in the arcade playing pinball when Jean picked them up. Some of the outfits that Catherine picked for Jubilee weren't exactly to Jean's liking. Catherine had a fetish for things that were black, skin tight, and leather and if it wasn't that it was just short. Catherine tried to explain that cat burgulars didn't need a lot of fabric getting in thier way. "Well Catherine you're not a thief anymore." was Jean's only response. They ended up taking most of Jubilee's clothes back.   
  
  
Catherine was knocked out of her flash back by the sound of Duncan and Bobby's voices coming toward the reck room. They were talking as if they were old friends. **Good. Duncan didn't kill him. Thats a good sign.** Catherine thought. "You two are awfully chummy. Something I should know?" Catherine questioned as she put her arm around her father. "Yes, I think you and Bobby have something to discuss." Duncan said in a low voice. "We've had that discussion Dad." Catherine scowled.   
  
"No. You talked and I listened. Its my turn now." Bobby said to surprise of them both. "Lets go out side and talk." Bobby's voice was completely serious, something he didn't do often. They both proceeded to go out towards the garden.   
  
  
Remy had walked in on the scene and was grinning from ear to ear as they passed him. "Homme ya so in now." Gambit said joking. Rogue, Jean, and Ororo slapped him on the back of the head and glared.  
  
  
"Like you don tink they a nice couple." Gambit wined as a bump was rising on the back of his head. On the other side of the room Joe was looking kind of confused as he began to put all the clues together. Then all of a sudden a look of surprise came over his face. ** No wonder he had that silly expression on his face during dinner. How come I'm the last to know about these things?** Joe thought as the couple exited the building and Remy was rubbing his head.  
  
  
Meanwhile in New York Methos had made it to Cassandra's apartment. Finding Cassandra had been too easy. He had to hand it to the Watchers, when it came to finding immortals they were very accurate. They had everything Cassandra had done and everyone she'd seen within the last six months on file. Imagine his surprise in finding a phone call from Amanda on the list around the same time Methos had first met Catherine. "Well well. If you're hiding her witch you'll share her fate as well." Methos said with a smile on his lips that meant trouble for everybody. Methos then proceeded in finding out where Cassandra was now. She had managed to dodge her watcher and disappear.  
  
  
Methos frantically tore apart Cassandra's desk until he found a business card. "Camron Rose, Realtor" **A realtor? Did you buy a house for the litte girl to hide in? Maybe I should pay Mr. Rose a visit.** Methos abruptly left the penthouse and headed for downtown Manhattan. At that time of night he and mister Rose wouldn't have any interruptions.  
  
  
It was lucky for Methos that Rose's apartment was right above his office. It wasn't so lucky for Camron Rose. Rose was frightened shitless. One minute he was sleeping peacefully in his bed, the next he's trussed up in his apartment, his nose bleeding from a blow to the face. A tall slender man was standing in front of him. Short cut black hair and almost scarecrow like. On the street he'd be the last person to frighten Camron, but right now he was the most frightening thing on earth. He was questioning him about a woman named Cassandra. Of course he remembered the woman, who could forget someone looked the way she did or payed in cash, but he wasn't about to tell this guy that. Camron didn't know he could hurt so much, blow after blow his resistance weakened. Then finally the slender man bent close to his ear.  
  
  
"Where's Cassandra's new house?" Methos whispered. Before Rose could stop himself he blurted out the house's address in Westchester. "Now that wasn't so hard was it? You could have saved yourself a lot of pain Mr. Rose by just answering my question the first time." Methhos smiled. Rose was disgusted with himself. There was no telling what that mad man would do to that poor woman. "Now I'll be leaving you Mr. Rose." Methos turn around and began to waltz out the door. Rose's courage was building again and he mumbled an almost inaudible curse. "Go to Hell."   
  
  
"Now, Now Mr. Rose was that called for?" Methos said almost playfully. "And I was going to let you live." Methos quickly turned unshiething his sword and took Rose's head. **Its just not the same without a quickening, but all the same it was fun.** Methos mused as he gentally closed the door of the brownstone behind himself and strolled out onto the busy night time streets of the city. He was on his way to Westchester, but first he needed to see some people about an actor of his own and he needed to remember why Westchester sounded so familiar to him.  
  
  
Chapter Twelve  
  
  
Bobby and Catherine had been in the garden for nearly two hours talking or better to say Bobby was talking. Catherine just sat listening to Bobby poor his heart out. She would have given in an hour ago but she hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise.   
  
  
"Bobby I give. I love you too." Catherine said cutting in to Bobby's speech.  
  
"You what." Bobby said perplexed. "I love you, stupid." Catherine said again grinning. Bobby waisted no time in taking Catherine into his arms and planting a very passionate kiss on her lips. **I could get use to this.** Catherine thought. Breaking off the kiss Catherine suggested that they head back to the mansion. Bobby started to grin again. "Get your mind out of the gutter. Everyone is probably wondering where we are." Catherine chastised. "You know we could possibly be perfect for each other. I'm 16 and act I like I'm 30 and you're nearly 30 and you act like you're 16." Catherine kissed her new bow on the cheek as he pretended to be hurt. "Stop pouting. We have all the time in the world." Catherine gave him a sly "come hither" look. Bobby perked up and the new couple walked back to the mansion arms wrapped around each other.   
  
  
"Amazingly" the X-Men were still up talking with Joe and Duncan. Duncan was regailing them with one of his many "I romanced a royal woman stories" and Joe seemed to be taking note of Rogue's measurements to the distress of Remy. When the couple came through the sliding doors Jubilee burst into a fit of laughter. For the life of her Catherine couldn't guess why until she looked up at Bobby. Bobby's face was smeared with lipstick. Catherine took note to switch to smudgeproof from now on. Bobby was puzzled and decided to speak up.  
  
  
"Guys what's so funny? Let me in on the joke." Bobby said. The whole room, except for Duncan and Scott, erupted into laughter. Even Catherine had to laugh. Bobby looked down at Catherine. He didn't like being left out on a joke since he was the crown prince of pranks in the school. Catherine walked off towards the hall and as she turned to say goodnight she tapped her own lips as a signal. Bobby brushed his own in return and turned a dark shade of red. He almost looked as red as the lipstick smudge he'd just made worse. As Catherine walked to her room she couldn't help but to think that he was the cutest 25 year old she'd ever met.  
  
  
"My dear friend Robert, I take it we can assume that the two of you are now a couple." Hank said stifling a laugh and handing him a kleenex. Duncan and Scott were still glaring each for his own reason. Duncan walked up to Bobby and slapped him on the shoulder hard. "Like I said before Bobby, hurt her and I'll kill you." This time Duncan said it with a smile and that really scared Bobby. **I'm a dead man anyway.** Bobby thought smiling.   
  
Logan was on the floor with Jubilee laughing. Then he walked over to the "popsicle" as he called him. "Popsicle ya better treat her real nice or your gandkids will be running from him." Logan said laughing. Bobby was still as red as a beat. "Homme I told ya , ya was in." Remy blurted out between laughs. Rogue, Jean, and Ororo slapped him on back of the head again. "Guys I'm going to bed." Bobby proclaimed. He heard Jubilee say "OOOOOOh" and a what sounded like slaps as he walked down the hall to his room.   
  
  
The next morning Catherine and Duncan continued where they'd left off in her training. He was pleased with her improvement, but noticed that Catherine was lacking the spontaneity needed in a sword fight. Sometimes it was only "seat of your pants" thinking that won a fight and not skill. Catherine had all the skill and knowledge that her immortal parents could teach her, but she lacked experience. Duncan hoped she wouldn't gain that kind of experience until much later. Taking the life of another human being was much more different than taking the head off a sym.  
  
  
Catherine could see that worry on her father's face as they spared in the Danger Room. He was always the honorable soldier and friend. Everything came to Duncan in black and white, gray areas confused him. Catherine felt safe in grey areas, because those were the only ones she ever knew. A person had to be somewhat amoral when it came to stealing for a living. He was distracted. She hoped that it didn't get him killed, she wanted to keep him around a little longer.  
  
  
Meanwhile, Cassandra was watching the mansion and glad to see at least one of Catherine's parents alive. Cassandra hadn't seen anymore visions of Amanda since the last. She didn't know whether to take it as a good sign or a bad one. Either way she was set on protecting her god daughter at any cost, even if it meant her life. Richie was at Salem Center grocery shopping for the house and trying to contact some of the local snitches. Joe and Duncan were sure that Methos would come looking for Cassandra and he wanted to know when or if a stranger had come into the community. Cassandra on the other hand wasn't worried about Methos coming after her she knew she was going to die soon enough.  
  
  
Bobby was waiting for Catherine after her session in the Danger Room. Duncan gave a knodd to Bobby as he left the pair to talk. Bobby almost chaistly gave her a peck on the forehead as Duncan passed thru the last entrance on his way to the ground floor of the mansion. Catherine raised an eyebrow in suspicion then smiled as a wicked thought ran thru her mind. It was Bobby's turn to raise an eyebrow now.  
  
  
"I know you can do better than that Mr. Drake." She said with the same raised eyebrow and wicked grin. "I know I can too, but I'd rather not in front of your father. " Bobby said with a frightened look on his face.   
  
  
"Well dad isn't here now. We're all alone." Bobby took that as an invitation. "Ya know Bobby we're gonna have a lot of fun once this Methos thing is over." Catherine said while trying to her best Groucho Marx impression. It was the first time in weeks that she'd felt truly confident and wasn't faking for the benefit of someone else. Bobby was all smiles as he held her in his arms. He'd found his perfect match. She was beautiful, strong, funny, and most of all she made Bobby want to go on fighting no matter what the cause. He was on cloud nine.  
  
  
Methos decided to make a little hotel outside of Salem center as his base of operations. The first thing he needed to do was find out as much information he could about where Cassandra was and whether or not Catherine was really with her. It wasn't above Duncan to try and throw him off track with a false lead and Cassandra hated him enough to risk her own life to kill him. The actress he hired turned out to be more than he could've ever asked for. With her "special skills" and precise timing Catherine would come to him.   
  
  
**What a beautiful day. The air is crisp and dear Cathy's blood will spill soon.** Methos thought as he stepped out onto the grounds of the little hotel. **I have to pick a suitable battle field, after all Maclead and his daughter are the honorable soldiers. How could I give them anything less than perfection.** Methos' was determined to fight on his own turf and use his own rules. The location of the hotel was perfect. Secluded, empty, and nowhere to hide, unless you felt like taking a header of a cliff and into some very sharp rocks. The hotel staff had been taken care of earlier by some rather disreputable mutants that Methos had hired.  
  
  
At the mansion the Professor thought that it would be a nice change of pace to have lunch and dinner outside for a few days since the weather was so beautiful. No one had any complaints and the training sessions were cut short so they could enjoy the weather together. Scott, Logan, and Remy were playing basketball with Rogue, Storm, Jean (and loosing badly). Jubilee and Joe were discussing the "Watchers Society" and immortals, while Duncan was having a pleasent conversation with the prof. Hank was still in his lab looking rather perplexed at a blood sample that Duncan had been talked into giving to him until Bobby and Catherine coaxed him out with the promise of hamburgers and twinkies. Hank mumbled something about not loosing a best friend but gaining an equally annoying girlfriend as the couple tried to carry him out of his lab. Catherine and Bobby laughed and said that he needed more sunlight and fresh air.  
  
  
Duncan and Charles had managed to remove themselves from the groug and their conversation instantly became much more serious. "You do know that once Catherine becomes fully immortal that she will have to kill to survive?" Duncan said. "She may even have to leave the institute if the others can't handle it." Charles nodded his agreement.   
  
  
"By the others, you mean Bobby right." Xavier surmised. "Duncan you don't have to worry about Bobby he'll be there for her. After all I am a psychic, I know these things." Xavier cracked a smile.   
  
  
"Charles, of all the mortals I've ever known you never cease to amaze me." Duncan said as he punched Xavier in the arm. "Out of all the mortals you've ever known how many could read minds? Don't worry she's the one for him and likewise for her." Charles said with a smile. Seeing his X-Men happy and at peace was one of his greatest wishes, even if it was only for a short time.  
  
  
Cassandra watched the happy scene from a nearby hilltop. **What is Duncan thinking? Catherine should be training for the upcoming battle. That young one never seases to amaze me when it comes to naivete. You'd think after 400 years that he'd be a little less trusting.** Just then Cassandra's cell phone rang out. It was Richie.   
  
  
"Cassandra, I think I've got a lead on Methos. Some locals from an inn outside of Salem Center haven't been seen in a few days and thier friends are getting antsy. Plus, get this, some rather bad dudes have been seen in the area too. The local snitches say they're bad news on a major scale. They sound like the kind of guys that our "new" Methos would use to get Catherine. I'll check it out and get back to ya tonight." Richie reported.   
  
  
"Thanks Richie. I'll wait until you report back before contacting Duncan. We really don't know if Methos has found me or not. He can't find Catherine now she's not ready." Cassandra said before abruptly flipping the phone off and resuming her watch. **This isn't going well. He wasn't supposed to be so close so soon. Amanda where are you? Are you alive?** Cassandra thought as she decided to watch the X-Men and Catherine from another advantage point.  
  
  
Down below on the mansion grounds Wolverine had decided to call the basketball game quits. He wasn't about to let the X-ladies get the better of him in one his favorite passtimes. After eating he decided to patrol the grounds. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched and the love birds were starting to make him sick. Wolverine had wondered into the edge of the woods on the east side of the school grounds and caught a familiar scent in the air.   
  
  
Meanwhile just outside of Salem Center Richie was examining the grounds of a small inn. He had seen Methos earlier through an upstairs window, but what he found in woods surrounding the inn surprised him even more. Richie found what was left of the hotel owners and staff. They weren't even buried and to make matters worse thier heads were gone. Richie wanted to vomit. He wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it for himself, the ancient had truly lost his mind. None of these corpses has been immortal, they were all mortals and upon closer examination one of them was even a watcher. **Great Methose, let the whole world know about us why don't cha. Wait until the watchers find out about this. If this doesn't start a war between us nothing will.** Richie thought as he quickly moved away from the bodies and back toward his car.  
  
  
Methos smiled as he sensed the young immortal watching from the nearby grove of trees. **Hello Richie. I hope you know I'm letting you see me. As soon as you report back to Cassandra or Duncan the first part of my plan will be complete. Afterall why go to claim a prize when the prize can come to you, and she will come to me.** At that moment, and as Richie was turning his back a woman walked into view. "What do you think of my plan my Dear?" Methos queried. The woman smiled and moved to sit in his lap. She gave a slight peck on the cheek and smiled looking out the window. "Amanda my dear, Methos said smiling wickedly, you are a tease." She moved in closer for a more personal response to his question.  
  
  
Back on the mansion grounds Wolverine was having an encounter of his own. "Come on out now. I can smell you a mile away with that perfume." Logan said with a snort. Out of the shadows the slender figure of woman stepped out to be seen. "So how long has it been darlin, ten, twenty years? An ya still look great." Logan asked. Cassandra smiled. "Thank you, you don't look that bad yourself. I was wondering how long it would take for you to find me out here." Cassandra said.  
  
  
(Flash back, New York City, twenty years earlier.)  
  
  
Logan just about to leave a local pool hall when the most gorgeous red-head he'd seen in a while walked in carrying a pool cue. He could tell she was a hustler by the innocent way she sauntered in the place, after all what would an innocent, seemingly meek, woman be doing in a dive like that. Immediately the guys in the bar gathered like flies around her.   
  
  
Usually Cassandra liked the attention she got from men in these dives, but today she just wanted a decent game. Pool was one of her favorite pass times ever since its invention she'd been hooked. "Hey darlin don't cha think you'd be better off in one o'dose fancy dives across town?" Cassandra looked around to see who was addressing her. He was a rather stocky looking man, yet handsome in an animalistic way. She smiled and parted the crowd as she moved toward him. "You up for a game?" Cassandra asked. "I'm up for anything darlin." Logan answered. "Cute, but lets just play for now." Cassandra cooed.  
  
  
Logan and his new friend played pool and conversed for most of the night. He was amazed to find a scholar and a politician playing pool in a seedy biker bar. "So darlin whats your name?" Logan asked. " Cassandra, but you can call me Cass." Cassandra smirked.  
  
Cassandra was about to invite him to her place for a drink when an all too familiar alarm sounded in her head. Another immortal was coming and she had to cut her encounter with this very interesting mortal short. Much to her disappointment.  
  
  
(Back in the present)  
  
  
"You still wear the same perfume darlin, you immortals must get into a rut after a few decades." Logan joked. "So why'd you run out on me that night Cass?"  
  
  
"Immortal business. When the quickening calls we fight, its our nature." Cassandra sighed. "I should be asking you why you decided not to tell anyone that you knew me."  
  
  
"I could ask you the same thing darlin, or can I guess? You didn't want to tip yer hand too soon. Finding out that almost everyone they've met in the past week is an immortal can be kind o' nerve racking even for the best of us." Logan said with a half smile. "Why are you stalking the mansion anyway? Don't trust us to look after the kid." Logan said his face going emotionless.  
  
  
"On the contrary I do trust you with her. The person I don't trust is Methos. Richie spotted him at a local inn and he also spotted the corpses of the innkeepers and staff." Cassandra said with a shudder in her voice.  
  
  
"Well then darlin lets go get Macleod and get rid of this Methos joker." Logan in full Wolverine mode started to move in the direction of the mansion.  
  
  
"Wait Logan thats not the way this game is played." Cassandra said urgently. "This game is a one on one fight and its Macleod's call if he wants to fight or take Catherine and run. Methos is a madman now and beyond reason, he'll use whoever and whatever he can to get Catherine. He's been a master strategist since before he made me what I am, if you believe for one second that Richie saw Methos out of pure luck you're very much mistaken." Cassandra's voice was cold and determined. "Lets go tell Macleod and Catherine. I think they'll decide that its time to fight."  
  
  
Inside the mansion Scott and Duncan were having a rather heated discussion of thier own.   
  
  
"I'm not pretending to like either of you, because of your girlfriend and daughter one of my closest friends and the rest of the scientists in that compound are dead. Those men and women were among the best and brightest the world ever knew. They could have changed this world for the better!" Scott said in an almost cursing manner.  
  
Duncan stood and listened to young mortal. Scott's voice was so full of rage. Duncan wondered if he'd ever used that tone of voice with his daughter. In the short time that Duncan had come to know his daughter, he had figured her out completely. Catherine may seem as tough as nails on the outside but she was a very sensitive soul. He quelled the anger inside of him and spoke calmly to Scott.  
  
  
"I know how you feel Scott I've lost hundreds of friends and lovers over the years. I've fought for centuries in war after war trying to make this world a better place, just as you and the other fight in secret now. The atrocities I've witnessed are worse than anything you could ever imagine. If you have to blame anyone for your loss blame me, blame Amanda, blame society and fate, but don't blame Catherine. She didn't have a choice in all this. If you really took the time to get to know her you'd see a soul that would gladly die to protect the ones she loves and who'd die to bring back the innocent." Duncan looked fatiged but his speech came from the deepest regions of his soul and as he looked into Scott's eyes he knew he had hit a nerve.  
  
  
Scott bowed his head slightly in thought and with an ashamed look in his eyes walked off toward his room to think. Duncan was about to retire as well, but another immortal was near and he started to prepare himself mentally to fight.   
  
  
Richie stared at the fireplace in Cassandra's den intently as he sipped his coffee. He knew that Cassandra wouldn't wait until morning to tell Duncan the news about Methos and he was bothered by the fact that they still treated him as if he were a child. Being out of the loop was definitely no fun and what was worse his best friends could possibly be killed because of it. Richie remembered Duncan telling him about team work and how all members of a team should be on an equal level, but he guessed the rules were different when a daughter was concerned. **There has to be a way to even up the odds against Methos. Maybe if I could get on the inside.** Richie thought as he stood up and grabbed the keys to his car.  
  
  
  
Okay this was a long one. I know what your thinking, she can't leave me hanging like this. Well I can. I hope you enjoy this installment and review it because if you don't review I won't know whether or not to continue. As for my loyal readers I had a lot of tests to study for so thats why it took so long to get this thing posted. let me know if you like it or not.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Part Six

Disclaimer: The X-Men and Highlander characters belong to their prospective owners and not me. I only wrote this fanfic for my own entertainment and I'm making no money so don't sue me. It would be a waste of time.  
  
  
Of Mutants and Immortals  
By Animefreek  
  
**denote thoughts  
  
  
Chapter Thirteen  
  
  
It was really late and all Catherine wanted to do was sleep and dream about a wonderful day. Instead she got lights and alarms going off in her room and the beginnings of a major headache. She didn't believe Jubilee when she said the alarms could be heard from anywhere on the mansion's grounds, now she was a believer. **This had better be good. A girl needs her beauty rest.** Catherine thought as she raced toward the war room. Cassandra, Duncan, and the Professor where waiting on her and the others.  
  
  
"This can't be. How did he find us so soon? Does he know Catherine is staying in the Institute?" Duncan said. His composure was gone now and the stress and strain was taking on a life of it's own behind his eyes. Cassandra decided to break the news to Duncan and the X-Men at the same time. "Cassandra where is he now? We have to anticipate his next move.? Duncan asked.  
  
  
"He's staying in an inn outside of Salem center." Cassandra spoke up first. "Are there any mortals around?" Joe asked. "Yes, and they're dead now. To make matters worse, one of them was a watcher." Cassandra said blankly. "Shit!" Both Joe and Catherine let that one slip. Catherine knew enough about the new breed of watchers from Duncan and Amanda to know that these days they did a lot more than just watch especially when one of them was threatened. "What is that man trying to do start a war?" Joe spat out and put a hand to his forehead.  
  
  
Catherine sat back in her chair eyeing the location of the inn. Scott was watching her reaction. He was amazed at how cool she seemed, most young people her age would be shaking in thier boots. Catherine kept her exterior cool as she started thinking out her options. It was obviousllly a trap, Methos wouldn't have made such a stupid mistake. He wanted Richie to see him. He had a plan and know it was time for Catherine to plan. Duncan and the others were talking about possible options when Catherine decided to chime in.  
  
  
"We know where he is now and we know that it's a trap. We have the advantage. Apparently he doesn't know where I am yet, lets see if we can use that." Catherine's criminal mind was taking over and she wasn't sure anymore if that was a good idea or not. Duncan turned and faced his now stone faced daughter. She smiled. Duncan noticed a slight change in her mood and mannerisms as she moved from the mode of daughter to warrior and thief. Scott noticed as well and wondered what surprises were cooking in the young girl's mind.  
  
"We'll handle this Catherine, there's no need for you to go anywhere near Methos." Duncan's voice sounded more like a command than a statement. Catherine began to glare at him. "I'm tired of running and hiding. I'm tired of having everyone else fight my battles for me. If Methos wants me then I'll go." Catherine said coldly. "No. You won't and if you do anyway you'll only get yourself killed." Duncan said, his nerves on edge.  
  
  
"And you won't! Look at yourself dad. You're tired, stressed, and scared. You can't fight him in the state you're in. The only thing you'll achieve is getting yourself and probably me killed and thats on a good day. What about the X-Men and Joe? They won't kill Methos and that in itself will cause a world of trouble for them." Catherine was already in her immortal mindset as she spoke to her father. Her words hit a cord with Duncan. She was right. He was in no condition to fight Methos. Perhaps it was time to call in another player, one who wasn't so attached to the past especially one with Amanda and Methos.   
  
  
"My dear Richie do you really expect me to believe that you want to help me? Methos said with a snicker. Duncan is your teacher and so is the little brat. No you're not the kind to switch sides, nope too loyal. But you can do something for me." The smile on Methos' face made Richie's skin crawl.  
  
"Whats that?" Richie asked hesitantly. "You can give Duncan and Catherine a message for me, but first a few friends of mine are going to teach you a lesson about what happens when you lie to your elders." With that said two very obvious mutants began to give Richie the beating of his life. One was tall and blonde, the costume he was wearing resembled that of a cat and his teeth were more like fangs. The other was most definitely a woman, red hair that tapered at the shoulder and her skin was a perculiar shade of blue. After his beating Richie was tossed in his car along with a videotape. He was alive and would heal, but could he survive the shame of failing the others?  
  
  
  
The X-Men and Catherine departed the War room while the professor, Cassandra, and Duncan began looking for Conner. Catherine had never met her "cousin" ( note "Cousin" is in quotes because no immortal or pre-immortal befor Catherine ever knew thier true parentage.) , but his reputation preceeded him. He was older than Duncan and from Amanda had told her a much more experienced swordsman. She also knew that he had defeated an immortal in New York city a few years back and gained the power of illusion. That might come in handy fighting Methos. The trick was finding him, no watcher could ever keep up with him long enough to get his routine down on paper or disk. The prof was attempting to use Cerebro and Joe had his lap top hooked up typing through the watcher data base.  
  
  
Bobby and Catherine were in the rec room watching TV., or at least Bobby was. Catherine's mind was too preoccupied to enjoy a rerun of Sienfeld. The others had opted to get some shut eye before thier training sessions started. Bobby was trying to distract her by putting his head in her lap and giving her one of those patented platinum smiles. She smiled, but her heart wasn't in it. She didn't mean to be cruel to her father, but it was the truth. The killing and betrayal was getting to him. Catherine's musing was interupted by the faraway sound of Bobby's voice.  
  
"If you want to cry I won't tell anyone. If you want to talk I'm sitting right here." Bobby's voice was soft and he managed to turn off the television without Catherine noticing. "What did a crook like me do to deserve you? Everything that I've told you would have scared off anyone else. Why are you staying?" Catherine didn't have a single emotion on her face and this scared Bobby. "I've told you this a hundred times, I love you. No matter how young you look or how old you may become." Bobby said as he lightly grazed her lips with a kiss. Catherine smiled gently.  
  
  
"Bobby can I sleep in your room tonight? I don't want to be alone." Catherine's voice was pleading. Bobby kissed her again only this time deeper. "You can sleep there for the rest of your life if you want to." Bobby's voice was even softer now and Catherine found herself being lifted off the Couch and carried to his room. They spent the rest of the night trading kisses and plans for the future enfolded in each other's arms. She felt safe until the morning light flooded thru his curtains and she had to leave.   
  
  
The breakfast table was silent and the tension between Duncan and his daughter was heavy in the air. Both of them were stubborn and refused to back down. Catherine wanted to fight and Duncan wanted anything but. Bobby was about to break the silence at the table when the doorbell rang. Catherine got up from her seat to answer the door and Duncan roughly pushed her back down in her seat. Catherine bit her tongue knowing that anything she said in anger would only fan the flames between them. Rogue moved to answer the wanting very much to leave the father daughter scene. It only reminded her of the night she ran away from home and her own father. What she found at the door wasn't anymore pleasent. It was Richie, bloody, healing slowly, and holding a very stained videotape.  
  
  
Catherine was getting tired of the War room and asked to view the tape in the rec room. To everyone's surprise Scott agreed and turned on the VCR for her. **Maybe he's starting to accept her.** Jean thought as she watched her husband. Catherine wasn't ready for what she saw on the video tape. The tape began to play.  
  
  
("Catherine darling, Duncan old friend. You two are probably wondering why I let dear Richie live. Two reasons really, one, he's not a threat to me and two, I needed a messenger. I've decided to bring this cat and mouse game you two have decided to play to a crescendo, so to speak. You have something I want and I have something you want.")  
  
  
**What could he have that either of us could possibly want?** Catherine and Duncan thought. They got the answer to their question all too soon. The frame changed changed to somewhere dimly lit and no windows. Off camera a light screamed thru the room and settled on a very beaten up Amanda. To both Catherine's and Duncan's horror there was a scar healing across her neck. The scene went back to Methos.  
  
  
("I'm suggesting a trade. The girl for her mother. A simple trade. I get what I want and she gets what she wants, to see her sweet mother alive and well. I know you know were I am by now, and unfortunately our friend Richie has led me straight to you. What a shame. You really should train your sidekicks better. Two days from now, the back of the inn near the cliff. No tricks and no mutants. I must admit hiding the girl at Xavier's Institute was smart. Who would bother looking for a normal child there.")  
  
  
  
Catherine didn't know what made her more sick, the fact that Methos was so sure he was going to win or the fact that you could almost hear the sound of joy in his perverted voice. She hugged Bobby and Duncan close to her for a moment and then escaped their grip for a stronger position by herself. "What do we do now? Wait for Conner?" Catherine asked. "No we fight and we don't fight by the rules anymore." Duncan said staring coldly at the now snowy television screen. Catherine was hoping that he could channel his anger into a plan or better yet a winning fight.  
  
  
Chapter Fourteen  
  
  
All of the X-Men and Immortals were gathered in the war room. Plans and strategies were being tossed left and right. There were only a few things that they knew for sure.  
  
1. Amanda was alive  
2. Methos didn't really expect them to wait the two days.  
3. They weren't about to make any kind of trade. It was all or nothing.  
4. From what Richie told them there were only two other mutants with him.  
  
  
There was no talking Catherine out of going after seeing the video tape, so Duncan didn't try. Joe had found Conner's location and was headed toward a provence in northeast Asia. There was little hope of him returning in time for the fight, but at least if they failed Conner could avenge them. After much deliberation the team was chosen. Scott would lead followed by Ororo, who would cover thier entrance and exit, Logan who would handle any unknown mutants with Scott, and Gambit would enter from an opposite area with Catherine to retrieve Amanda. Duncan had made it an imperitive to all that Catherine was not to come into contact with Methos. She would simply retrieve her mother from what appeared to be the inn's wine cellar and get back to the confines of the mansion. Bobby was more than hurt when he wasn't selected for the away team, but the professor pointed out that he was too emotional to be anything but a hinderance in this point in time. The rest of the X-Men were to stay behind and prepare the medlab for any injuries. As for Cassandra and Richie they had their own plans.  
  
  
During the trip to Methos' headquarters both father and daughter centered themselves for the upcoming battle. Catherine didn't know what kind of mental state her mother could be in she had to prepare herself for the worst. Duncan had to prepare himself to kill a once friend. Sure it hadn't been the first time and wouldn't be the last, but all the same it hurt like hell to see comrads turn into enemies.   
  
  
As the blackbird alighted on the grounds of the inn Catherine got an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, something wasn't right. She kept seeing pictures of Amanda in her head from the video tape, but something was off about her. Something just didn't sound right. She started to say something to Duncan but decided not to. He had enough on his mind. As she stood up and departed the ship Catherine took note of her X-Man uniform and the arsenal she was carrying.  
  
  
Jean allowed her to pick the look of her official uniform. Since she was a cat burgular by profession of course the color was black. The cut was, to say the least, form fitting. It was a leather stylized cat suit with a small pouch to hold a few smoke bombs and small collection of lock pics. On her shoulder was the usual X-symbal communicator and on her back, much to the distress of Duncan, was the silver colored spinal sheath that was especially designed for her Alamantium sword. With her hair pulled back into a severe braid she looked well beyond her years and dire. Even Scott had to admire her physique and bravado. She was about to walk into the lair of madman who wanted to kill her to save her mother.  
  
  
Duncan was noticably uneasy despite his meditation on the plane and in no condition to fight. He was thinking like a father and not an immortal. **I have to start thinking like a warrior again. She can take care of herself, Methos will be outside dealing with me.** When everyone was outside the blackbird Scott took on his role as leader and assigned roles once more.  
  
  
Catherine and Gambit under the haze of fog created by Storm headed toward the inn's back entrance. Scott, Duncan, and Logan decided tho use the direct approach and walked up the driveway. In midstep Logan caught a familiar scent in the and growled out a name. "Sabertooth."  
  
  
"Hiya runt, come ta visit or just ta die?" Sabertooth said with a fanged smile on his lips. "Neither bub, but if you wanna fine with me." Wolverine said as he lunged a the much larger man. As this was happening Scott and Duncan kept moving toward the inn. "Come out Methos, we have a score to settle." Duncan shouted out as Methos jumped out of the shadows and slashed the back of black trench. Duncan spun around and took on a defensive stance. Scott was about to blast Methos until Duncan raised his hand in protest. "This is my fight Cyclops go inside and find Amanda." Duncan said coldly not taking his eyes off of Methos. Scott kept moving toward the house.  
  
  
"Duncan you're loosing your edge. I never could have snuck up on you like that before. Is fatherhood making you soft or were you already soft to begin with?" Methos' mocking tone was making Macleod angry, angry enough to make fatal errors. Duncan knew he had to calm himself, at least long enough for Catherine and the others to get Amanda out.   
  
  
"This way Gambit." Catherine whispered as they made thier way down a long dark hallway. She had taken the precaution earlier of memorizing a blueprint of the inn. Gambit figured it wasn't the first time she'd ever had to memorize a blueprint. Catherine couldn't help but notice the rooms around her. If they were in any other situation this would be the perfect hideaway after a hiest, but for now it was the last place she wanted to be with her mother. Catherine was jolted from her thoughts by the sound of footprints coming up the corridor behind her. "Remy, against the wall and into the shadows." Catherine barked. They both waited nervously as the silohette moved slowly down the hall. Any closer and Catherine would strike with a leathal roundhouse kick to the face. She was about to kick when a hint of Ruby was reflected in the light.   
  
  
"Scott? Catherine asked. Where's my dad?" "He's outside with Methos. Don't worry he remembers the plan. He's just a distraction as soon we give the signal, we all turn tale." Scott said in his most reassuring voice. "Where is Wolverine?" Catherine asked. "Outside, one of the mutants Methos happened to hire was Sabertooth." Scott answered.  
  
  
"Great, dat all we need!" Gambit blurted out. Catherine and Scott shot him a shushing glare.  
  
  
Outside Richie and Cassandra were watching the insuing battles. Mutant against Mutant and Immortal against Immortal. Earlier that day Cassandra had another flash. She was not happy. She'd seen Macleod on his back about to die. Even more disturbing was the preminiton she saw concerning herself, Catherine and Amanda.  
  
  
Her vision was more flashes than anything else. Like watching a black and white movie in slow motion. She was fighting Methos and lost. The rest of her vision was blury, but she sensed something different about the quickening he was receiving. Like Catherine, Cassandra sensed something off kilter about Amanda, but couldn't put her finger on it.  
  
  
Duncan was tired of buying time. The clashing of his sword sounded empty and his soul wasn't in the fight. He just wanted to stop. Wolverine and Sabertooth slashed mercilessly at each other landing blows that would have killed normal men. Niether of them would tire of fighting each other, both wanted the death of the other.  
  
  
Inside the inn Catherine and the others had entered the cellar. They'd met a young mutant guarding a door to a lower level and quickly and bloodlessly disposed of him. Sitting in the corner was Amanda. Catherine's heart jumped. Her mother was alive. Without thinking and without noticing a strange tint of yellow in Amanda's eyes she embraced her mother.  
  
  
"Mom I missed you so much. Everything is going to be alright now." Catherine said stroking "Amanda's" head. "It will as soon as I kill you." "Amanda" said. Catherine's eyes went wide and she shoved herself away from her "mother" just in time to see "Amanda" pull out a small dagger from her boot. Catherine sat back in shock as her "mother" lunged at her again. Now Catherine knew what was off. The eyes. They may have looked like Amanda's on the outside, but there was nothing of Amanda behind them.  
  
  
"I don't know who you are lady, but you picked the wrong kid to try and kill." Catherine said as she pulled out as slender dagger of her own. The false Amanda hopped to her feet and slashed at Catherine's chest. "Who are you?" Catherine snapped as she easily side stepped the now enraged woman. The woman's anger peaked as a slight smirk started at the corners of Catherine's mouth.   
  
  
"You're good kid, but you're going to die tonight." The woman spat. As Catherine and the imposter fought Scott and Gambit also saw something disturbing in the woman's eyes. A change in color. "Mystique!" Gambit called out. "Get away from her Catherine. She not what she seems, she's a shape shifter."   
  
  
"Good, then maybe she can shape shift a new face after I trash the fake one." Catherine said as her own dagger hit its mark and left a deep gash in Mystique's cheek. The mutant's composure left her and her true visage came.  
**Amazing she can literally become anyone she wishes and she chooses to work for mad men.** Catherine thought as the mutant looked down at her bloody palm and felt the sting in her cheek. "Its going to be a pleasure killing you for Methos." Mystique hissed. Catherine was about to go in for the kill when Scott yelled out.  
  
  
"Catherine leave her. There's no Amanda here. Remember the plan." Scott shouted. Catherine faked a stab with her dagger and caught Mystique off guard with a roundhouse to the face. "Another time Mystique." Catherine said to an unconcious Mystique. The trio started out toward Duncan and the Blackbird.  
  
  
Meanwhile outside Cassandra and Richie watched as Duncan and Wolverine faught their opponents bravely. Cassandra was starting to feel her age, between keeping Richie out of the fight and worrying about her disturbing vision, she was completely on edge. Macleod was weakening from the furious pace of the fight and Wolverine was becoming more enraged and sloppy by the second. They were both making lethal mistakes.  
  
  
Cassandra's head began to throb and humm. She was having another vision, it was time for her to die. At that moment Duncan tripped and fell backwards and Cassandra rushed forward just in time to block a lethal blow with her sword.  
  
  
"Cassandra darling, this isn't your fight!" Methos said with a pant. "Now it is, it always has been." Cassandra said quietly. Thier swords clashed and whistled through the night air as Cassandra aptly moved the fight away from an exhausted Duncan. Cassandra knew she was no match for Methos and couldn't keep us this furious pace for long. Across the yard Wolverine and Sabertooth were still locked in the heat of battle. Each man slowly losing control and becoming the animal underneath.  
  
  
  
Richie watched the battle like an obsecessed fan. At times he found himself cheering inside for the small Canadian, but this couldn't go on much longer. The plan was to get Amanda, get out, and regroup back at the mansion. Methos wanted to fight on his own turf and that was fine, but Duncan was in no shape to be his opponent. It was time for the fighting to stop, at least for tonight. Richie carefully aimed his tranquilizer gun and fired at the larger man. The darts that Dr. McCoy formulated worked faster than he'd expected. Now came the hard part, getting Logan back from the brink.   
  
  
Catherine and the others were on thier way out of the inn when Duncan scream. "Cassandra!"  
  
  
Cassandra was fighting like a lioness against fate and her growing fatigue. Methos' grin widened as he saw his opening. With the grace of a dancer Methos paried Cassandra's sword out of her hands and delivered a quick blow to released the woman's quickeining. Duncan screamed as his eyes and minded cleared in time to see the death of his friend.  
  
  
Logan and Richie stared in shock together as the quickening began. A blue haze poured from the now headless form of Cassandra. Clouds gathered in the sky and lighting flashed from the ground up. If not for the death of a friend the quickening would be a beautiful sight.   
  
  
Catherine ran out of the door of the building and was struck by lightening.  
  
  
  
Okay this is kind of long, but I like it. Hey I left you hanging again. Ha Ha. Please Read and Review. 


	7. Part Seven

Disclaimer: The X-Men and Highlander characters belong to their prospective owners and not me. I only wrote this fanfic for my own entertainment and I'm making no money so don't sue me. It would be a waste of time.  
  
  
Of Mutants and Immortals  
By Animefreek  
  
**denote thoughts  
  
  
Chapter Fourteen cont.  
  
  
Duncan couldn't believe his tired eyes as Cassandra's lifeless body hit the ground with a thud. He also couldn't believe his eyes when he saw what was happening to Cassandra's quickening.  
  
  
Catherine had just rushed out the door fearing the worst as she heard the familiar hum of an approaching quickening. Her gut was in knotts as she prayed that it wasn't her father or one of the other immortals present. As far as she knew she'd already lost her mother, she didn't want to lose the rest of her family. Her heart shattered as she recognized the fallen female body. A scream flowed thru the air. "Cassandra! Cassandra no!" Catherine's screams quickly turned into a sob. Methos turned his head to her direction and smiled. A blue electrical haze quickly blanketed the inn and surrounding areas of battle.  
  
  
The ground beneath them creaked and tore, trees uprooted themselves, glass from the inn shattered in all directions. As Cassandra's quickening rose from her limp body the most amazing of events happened, Cassandra's quickening split into two distinct forces of lightening, one black and the other the purest of white. The black energy flowing into Methos and the white energy flowing into a very surprised Catherine.  
  
  
Duncan couldn't believe his eyes as both Methos and Catherine were simultaneously swept into the air, both bodies lerching from the force of Cassandra's power and knowledge. It seemed as if nature itself was raging at the death of the centuries old witch. Duncan couldn't believe his eyes. Could his daughter be an immortal now, did something happen inside the inn? He didn't sense a new presence and Methos would have said something just to gloat.  
  
  
Catherine wanted to scream as the force entered her body, but something held her back and told her not to scream. She heard Cassandra's voice and laughter and something told Catherine that that her godmother was with her forever now.   
  
  
Methos' quickening on the other hand was much darker. His features contorted in pain as Cassandra's pain and his own joined in a torturing blast. His screams were monsterous and inhuman sounding.  
  
  
And then there was silence. Not even an insect was heard. The two forms hit the ground with a heavy thud. Gambit and Cyclops were in shock. The professor and Macleod had explained to the X-Men what a quickening was, but nothing could have prepared them for the actual event or the mystery of how a child who wasn't even an immortal yet could receive a quickening.   
  
  
Duncan quickly gathered his senses and yelled for Scott and Gambit to gather the now unconcious Catherine and get to the plane. Logan followed suit with a very distraught Richie heading for his car. Storm misted the green battlefield once again and the team departed.  
  
  
Back at the mansion alarms blarred as Xavier told the others to be ready to receive causalties in the med lab. Bobby jumped up as his ached at the idea that one of the casualties might be Catherine. His fears weren't wasted as Gambit ran from the docking bay carrying a much too still Catherine to the med lab.   
  
In the med lab it seemed as though everyone was in the way as Beast hovered over the unconcious girl in awe. From what described as he rushed back to the mansion on the blackbird Hank was expecting Catherine to have extensive burns an to be barely alive. On the contrary what they brought him was a young girl who was sleeping peacefully with a strong pulse and some badly burnt clothes. "Is this some kind of joke? Hank said with an irritated tone. She is fine, there is no possible way this young girl could have made contact with a natural phenom such as lighting without being at least scratched." Hank was about to refute thier assumptions when Duncan chimed in.  
  
  
"You won't find any marks from a quickening." Dunca said. "A quickening is pure energy and knowledge, its meant to heal, not hurt." Duncan fell silent. "Scott what happened in the inn? Did she die?" Dunan said after a brief pause when he was wincing from pain. He'd heal from his wounds, but that didn't mean he wouldn't ache for a few days. "Only immortals can receive quickenings. When did my daughter die?" Duncan was getting more upset by the second. Scott and Gambit were susposed to protect her instead they let her get killed. Scott and Gambit looked at each other in confusion.  
  
  
"She didn't." Was all that Scott could say. "She had to have died how else could she have recieved that quickening." Duncan was becoming more and more perlexed by the moment when Xavier decided to chime in.  
  
  
"Duncan perhaps since Catherine came about in a rather unusual manner some of your rules don't apply." Charles said. "I don't know Charles, but this may change everything I thought about my world and maybe yours." Duncan said matter a factly.  
  
  
On the other side of the room Catherine was still unconcious and from the movement of her eyes, dreaming.  
  
--------Catherine's Dream----------------------  
  
"Is anybody here? Can anybody here me?" Catherine yelled. **Where the hell am I? The last thing I can remember was stepping out of the door of the inn and something hitting me. How did I get in the middle of a forest?** "You ask a lot of questions little one, but I guess thats why I love you so much." A familiar voice said. "Cassandra, Cassandra is that you?" Catherine stared ahead of herself in amazement. Suddenly standing in front of her was Cassandra only her features seemed younger somehow, more childlike. "Always so full of questions, but never quiet enough get any answers." The much younger Cassandra said while taking Catherine in a warm embrace.   
  
  
Catherine pulled away from the embrace of her much younger looking god mother and took, for the first time, a closer look around. She had to be dreaming. Everything except the for the leaves on the trees that surrounded them and Cassandra's hair was in shades of gray and black. If things weren't so confused and jumbled in her mind this place would almost be beautiful. Catherine felt a sharp pain as memories flooded into her head. "Cassandra you're dead." Catherined stated as tears started to well in her eyes. "Yes, but not gone. I'm a part of you now. You recieved half of my quickening. Everything that was good in me and all of my other abilities are with you now. Use them well." Cassandra said with a smirk.  
  
  
"But how I'm not an immortal yet, am I?" Catherine questioned. "No not yet, but you my dear aren't susposed to be here. You simply aren't playing by the same rules as the rest of us. You my dear are the beginning of something new. A new kind of immortal for a new kind of world." Cassandra gave Catherine that "I know why this happened, but I'm not telling look. "Cassandra you're no help at all." Catherine spat.  
  
  
"I'll miss you too love." Cassandra said as she started to turn and walk away. "Where are going, what about Methos? He got a quickening too." Catherine yelled as Cassandra seemed to get further and further away from her. "Like you he also got my quickening as well, but he received all my faults and weaknesses. It'll prove useful to you in the days to come." Cassandra's voice was sad and calm and even though she was almost out of sight her voice sounded as if she were standing right next to her god daughter. "Cassandra tell my mother I love her." Catherine yelled. Cassandra yelled back, "Tell her yourself she's not on this side and you won't be here for long yourself."  
  
  
Catherine was about to ask another question when another bought of pain hit her head.  
  
-------------------End Dream----------------------------  
  
  
Catherine slowly began to open her eyes as the pain in her head started to increase. If this was the after effect of a quickening she didn't want any more of it. "Where am I now?" She managed to say out loud. Bobby and Duncan managed to both look very confused at the question. If the situation wasn't so dire they would quite comical. "You're safe in the mansion." Bobby said with a relieved smile. As her eyes cleared and adjusted to the light she noticed that she was in the medlab with one of those god awful medical gown with the back out. "The least you could have done was put me in my own night gown." She growned. Bobby smiled as he remembered putting her in the medical gown.  
  
  
"Pervert." Catherine said to Bobby and Duncan's surprise as she hit Bobby lovingly on the back of the head. "What was that for?" Bobby whined. "For that picture of me naked!" She shouted. "What? I thought about that." Bobby said turning red as Duncan about to reach for his throat.   
  
  
"You have naked pictures of my daughter!" Duncan yelled loud enough to attract the other X-Men. Gambit and Logan came running to the medlab in time enough to see Duncan trying to strangle Bobby and a very awake Catherine trying to pry them apart. Needless to say they were on the floor when Jean came in to check on Catherine. When Jean walked in she quickly used her telekinetic power to separate the two men and to sort out the confusion.   
  
  
"It would seem that we have a new telepath in our mist." Jean said with a relieved smile. " The picture you saw in your head came from when Bobby was dressing you in the medlab, which doesn't excuse him for the thought, but is an explination of what you saw. I think as soon as you are fully recovered we'd better start training you on how to control your new abilities." Jean said in a very doctorly tone. Catherine thought she sounded like Hank in his lab. Jean smiled and went to get the girl something to eat from the kitchen.  
  
  
"So how long have I been out?" Catherine chirped. Duncan got a sad look on his face and turned to Catherine. "Three days. I don't know if you remember what happened the other night....." Duncan said lowly . Catherine cut him off. "Dad I know that Cassandra is dead and I know what happened to me and Methos she told me in my dream." Duncan stared at his daughter, puzzled at how calm she seemed. He thought it must be an after effect of Cassandra's quickening, she was always the calm and cool one at least when Methos wasn't concerned.  
  
  
Catherine continued. "Cassandra told me in my dream that she was a part of me now. I have all the abilities she hid from both the mortal and immortal world. Cassandra was a true witch." Catherine searched her mind for the words to explain more. "Or at least in her day thats what they called her, now they'd call her a mutant. I have her telepathic and pshycic abilities now not mention some other things that are still a bit fuzzy in my head. She also told me that Methos got all of her weaknesses and that we should remember that in the coming days." Catherine didn't tell Duncan about Amanda, she didn't want to raise his hopes on something that could have been her musings in her three day slumber.  
  
  
After eating, much to the distress of Hank and Jean, Catherine made her way to her own room and clothes and the danger room to practice with her sym program. Duncan smiled at the fact that Catherine was so much like him and her mother that it was almost scary. She was strong, independent, and hard-headed. Those traits would either get her killed or make her the last immortal, the idea that she might be the last was scary in and of itself. What would the world be like. He bet a lot better than what it was now.  
  
  
Catherine's spirits were much higher and she wondered when she'd see her mother again. Bobby caught Catherine alone after one of her early morning sessions. "Why the big smile beautiful? I know I'm good looking and all but....." Bobby said sarcastically. Catherine smiled and keep walking toward the professor's office. She loved teasing her new boyfriend and wondered when he'd start teasing back. "I'm going to the prof.'s office he said he wanted to see me as soon as i felt up to it. He has some news to tell me. I'm hoping its good." Catherine said while putting an exagerated bounce in her step as Bobby followed closely behind.  
  
  
The professor was waiting in his office when he got a mental message from Catherine. She was learning how to use her new gifts with amazing speed. He accredited it to the quickening she recieved. Although how she was able to recieve it was still a mystery they had yet to figure out. Catherine bounced into the office closely followed by Bobby. To her surprise the others were all there as well. Bobby had a big grin on his face that made Catherine glare at him. "I'm not going to get chewed out again by Mr. "Stick up his ass " Summers again am I? Catherine smiled at Scott. Over the past few days they had seemed to come to grips with each other and a friendly banter had started between them. " No Kate I'm not. We'd like to welcome you officially to the team." Scott said warmly. Catherine suddenly summersaulted across the space between herself and Scott and produced a hidden dagger from her sleeve. Quickly pointing it at the tip of Scott's nose she said,"Call me Kate again you'll have to kick me off the team."   
  
  
"I should have told you she hates being called anything except Catherine, after all she is one of the aristocrats of the criminal world." Duncan said with a smile. Catherine then bowed from the waist and tucked the dagger back in it's hiding place. Jean walked over and handed Catherine a box with the X-Men's seal on the top. She opened it reveal a new uniform. Like the last one it was a stylized cat suit with black thigh high boots that laced in the front to go with it and gold X communicator. Unlike the other one it zipped in the front and had a built in spinal sheath for her sword. It also had an array of gadgets like dagger sheaths on the biceps of her arms and a pouch at the side for her lock picks and smoke bombs. **Man would you get a look at this get up Amanda would freak if she saw all this stuff. This is so me.**   
  
  
Duncan interupted her thoughts. "I have another surprise for you my dear. Guess who's back from Asia." Duncan was practically chirping. "Hey doll, what's up?" Joe's voice came from behind Catherine in a corner. She didn't see him when she came in, she'd have to practice watching watchers for a while. She was out of practice in that department. "Joe when did you get back? Did you find Conner?" Catherine asked hugging him. "Yeah doll face and something extra." He said gesturing to the door. There in the door stood a tall Sandy haired blonde man with the most striking blue eyes. He was the same height as Duncan and almost the same build.   
  
  
"You must be Catherine, I'm Conner and it's a pleasure." He said as he quickly took the young girl's hand and brushed a galant kiss across her knuckles. "I can see where I get my charm from Dad." Catherine said over her shoulder. Duncan grimmaced and shot Conner a jealous look as did Bobby. Conner smiled at them both and put an arm around his cousin. Catherine flirtateously held him close and shot a look at Bobby who was forming small icicle darts between his fingers. Conner laughed and motioned her toward the door again. "Like I said kid I found something extra in Asia I thought you might like it." Joe said with a mischievous look in his eye.  
  
  
"Joe what are you up to?" Catherine said in her most suspicious tone. "Why does he have to be up to something? A familiar voice said from just out of sight. Cassandra and your teachers were right, you do ask a lot of questions." Catherine's knees started to go weak as the figure stepped into view. "MOM!" Catherine said bounding into her mother's arms. Catherine was crying and practically screaming with joy. Amanda could see a million of Catherine's questions stream across her face and geared herself for the upcoming barrage. To her surprise her opinionated daughter was completely quiet. "You've changed love." Amanda said smiling. "You have no idea mother." Catherine said with a smirk.  
  
  
Chapter Fifteen  
  
  
Amanda and Catherine spent the rest of the day and night filling each other in what had gone on in the month they were separated from each other. Catherine seemed to go on forever about the X-Men and there cause and her training, and especially her new powers. Being immortal and a mutant was going to be a real challenge. Amanda and Joe hadn't heard about Cassandra's death or the strange quickening that occurred as a result until making it back to the mansion. Death is a hard card to be dealt even for an immortal and Amanda was going to miss her friend.  
  
  
"Mom what happened to you? Why didn't you contact any of us?" Catherine questioned. "Its a long story Catherine." Amanda amended. She really didn't want to get into it right then. "I've got the time if you do." Catherine smirked.  
  
  
------Flashback to Athens-------  
  
  
Amanda was sure that Methos was on her heels and she wasn't about to get caught. She started ducking and dodging thru alleys and side streets, unfortunately she ducked into a dead end. From behind she heard a man's voice that wasn't Methos'. "Amanda! There's no use in running, stand down and accept your fate." As Amanda slowly turned and unsheathed her sword recognition slowly glinted in her eyes. The man she was dodging now wasn't Methos but an immortal by the name of Marcus Drake. She and Drake had once been partners but after a jewel heist Drake got greedy and tried to take Amanda's head. (Funny how a twenty-three carrot diamond can turn friends against each other. :) Needless to say Amanda managed to get the diamond back from him and not have to kill him which only made him madder.  
  
  
"Marcus its nice to see you again, but I don't think this is the proper place for a "reunion"." Amanda said gesturing to the alley way filled with greasy rags and what seemed to be old oil and chemical drums. Obviously someone decided to dump them illegally and was storing the drums here until nightfall. "Its all in the game Amanda, are you ready to die?" Marcus said with a confident grin. Amanda was getting annoyed with the young immortal and his attitude. It was one of the reasons she hadn't killed him before, the thought of having that attitude of his lurking around in her head was revolting beyond words. Marcus was at least a thousand years her junior and cocky beyond words. He wouldn't live very long.   
  
  
Amanda was brought out of her thought as Marcus swung his sword barely missing her throat. Their swords clashed and sparked in the small alley. Marcus didn't seem to mind the idea of being blown up, Amanda on the other hand had already learned that being blown up wasn't the most pleasent way to die. WWI had been enough bombs to last her a life time and then some. Marcus was persistant and Amanda had no choice but to defend herself. He was still a sloppy swordsman after all these years. With an almost flawless swipe to his forearm he was disarmed and Amanda took his head.  
  
  
Amanda knew she had to get out of that alley before the quickening started she frantically ran away from the oil and chemical drums only to look behind herself and see the energy pulsing around her in a furious light show. She cursed inwardly. **Shit, this is going to hurt. And I still feel another immortal around, I won't be able to defend myself after this. Goodbye Catherine.** The quickening over took her as she neared the far end of the alley. All around the drums exploded as windows and building caught on fire and crumbled. Amanda's body was thrown into the street as merchants and tourists scattered no one noticed a lone figure running toward the temporarily dead immortal.  
  
------------End Flash back---------------  
  
  
"Well love after that I don't remember much, if you want to know the rest of the story you'll have to ask Conner." Amanda said in an amused tone. She loved to tease her daughter, knowing that it was one of her pet peeves. Catherine sighed. She wasn't sure how to approach the other highlander. As charming as he appeared there was something very tortured behind his eyes, it scared her a little. As if reading her mind Amanda put a hand on her daughter's shoulders and decided to change the subject to something more pleasent. "So tell me about Bobby. Amanda said with a grin. I know you're going to be an immortal someday, but isn't he a little old for you?" Catherine began to snicker uncontrolably. Amanda looked at her daughter confused. "Mom, you haven't been officially introduced to Bobby so let me put it this way, if anything I'm more mature than Bobby will ever be." Said Catherine in her business woman voice.   
  
  
Amanda was smiling from ear to ear. "Ok, then tell me my dear, does Bobby have any cute birthmarks?" Catherine turned shades of red that Amanda didn't think existed anymore. "Good, that tells me Bobby isn't a pervert." Amanda said sounding like a mother. With that done Catherine hugged her mother and asked her to join her, Duncan, and Conner in the Danger Room the next morning and ran for the nearest exit. Amanda grinned to herself and wondered when she'd get to talk to Bobby alone. She really wanted to scare to young man a bit before she accepted him into her family. Amanda rolled over and started to think of ways to amuse herself with the X-Men.  
  
  
The next morning Conner, Duncan, Amanda, Catherine, Bobby, and Remmy were the first ones downstairs for breakfast. Bobby was amazed that Remmy was out of bed before noon and made if known to anybody who would listen. Scott and Jean were amazed too as they came out of the kitchen and were greeted by the group talking in front of the bay windows that lit the dining room with morning sunshine.   
  
  
Amanda stared at the X-Man called Gambit sure he had seen him somewhere before. She just couldn't place him right know. All through breakfast she stared and smiled at the cajun much to the annoyance of Rogue. Then it hit her, and she knew this little secret was better kept to herself for now. Remmy on the other hand was enjoying the attention he was getting for a little while, then his skin started to crawl. He recognized Catherine's mom from somewhere, but where? **I know d'petite momma, but where, she look so f'miliar.**   
  
  
Conner was sitting next to Orroro and admiring the view very much and gauging the other X-men. He'd heard about Xavier and his X-Men from various contacts in his new business and from news reports. He'd have never predicted that he'd be eating breakfast with them. He glanced around with an amused smile. Of all the X-Men he had come to like the one called Logan the best. He could always smell a fighter and respected the man's stoic demeanor and need for space. He himself was once like that, battling demons at every turn and wondering whether or not the cause he was fighting for was worth anything at all. Then again most his causes turned into wars and eventually that is what was going to happen between normal humans and mutants.  
  
  
Catherine sensed the serious and brooding air start to take over the table and decided to have some fun at the exspense of Bobby and Amanda. "So Bobby, mom wanted to know if you had any cute birth marks." Catherine said nonchalantly. Without missing a beat Bobby said, "Sure, after breakfast I'll be glad to show you mine if you show me yours." Catherine wasn't about to shown up by anyone, at least not in this word game. "Oh I'll show you a lot more than that if you give me half a chance." Catherine said in her most seductive voice. With that said she won as Bobby choked on his scrambled eggs and Amanda wondered if there relationship had just jumped to the next level. Everyone else was in shock. Duncan growled something under his breath as Amanda put a hand on his shoulder. Catherine then got up and walked to the hall and wiggled her finger for Bobby to follow. A very wise Bobby didn't follow.  
  
  
When everyone recovered from shock Conner announced that Catherine was definately her mother's daughter and a Macleod. The immortals shrugged in agreement along with Xavier. Catherine decided with a shrug to go and practice with her sym program since Bobby wasn't following. She never thought he would though, immortals were always intimidating especially ones that were protecting there daughters.   
  
  
The sym program was getting too predictable and Catherine knew that she'd have to start sparing with Duncan and Amanda again; maybe even Conner although the thought of coming up against an immortal with the power of illusion was rather daunting. Conner seemed to have an air about him that was almost tortured. He'd seen a lot she could tell and those experiences had left permanent scars. He was a lot like Logan in that respect. "Sym program off." Conner said from behind Catherine. **He snuck up on me. I'll have to watch him a little closer. Everyone says I can trust him, but he reminds me of Methos a little. He's all smilles and hugs when the opportunity comes but his are kind of cold like Methos' when he thinks no one is looking.** **Ahhh! Listen to yourself girl you're getting paranoid.**  
  
  
Conner stood in the Danger Room watching his cousin spar. **She hasn't noticed me yet, this could be a problem.** "Sym program off." Conner said in an emotionless voice. **I'm intimidating her; good. She'll be more cautious next time.** " You really should be more careful, you're never really safe until you're on holy ground." Conner said in the same monotone manner. "Another tip, now that you have mutant powers use them, any advantage is better when used and used correctly." With that said Conner walked out of the Danger Room.  
  
  
**He's a strange one. Maybe he'll be the one to get Methos off my back and if he can do it without killing anybody then that'll be great.** Catherine thought to herself before going to find her mother.  
  
  
Catherine made it about half way down the hall before her head began to hum and everything went black. She woke up in the medlab or at least she thought she was awake. One second she was lying in the bed the next she was standing in that strange clearing in the wood where she'd last seen Cassandra. "Cassandra! Cassandra are you here?" She yelled out. "Yes and there's no need to shout." A laughing voice said from behind and then in front of her.   
  
Cassandra stood smiling in front of the confused teenager. "Okay Cass, what's going on here? One minute I'm trying to find my mother the next my head is splitting I black out." Catherine was not amused. "Sorry but its the only way that I can get you to use my powers until you learn how by yourself." Cassandra said matter of factly. "I'm not sure what all your powers are yet, mind filling me in." Catherine said. "You'll know everything in time, I can't tell you everything. Where would the fun be in that?" Cassandra said smiling.   
  
  
"Then can you tell me how I got here and where here is?" Catherine said with a tone similiar to anger. "Your mind. This is your most peaceful place. In all the chaos of your life this is the place that you can escape to." **Cassandra must be telling the truth, she's so calm.** Catherine thought. "What do you want to tell me?" Catherine was trite. "He's coming back soon and he has a new companion. His companion has plans of his own for you. Don't let your guard down." Cassandra faded away and once again Catherine awoke with headache and hugh group of worried family and extended family huddled over her.  
  
  
Okay Its a little abrupt again, but hey its my world and you're just reading it. Let me know what you think. Oh yeah, who do you think should be the new alli? A Marvel villian or a Highlander villian. 


	8. Part Eight

Disclaimer: The X-Men and Highlander characters belong to their prospective owners and not me. I only wrote this fanfic for my own entertainment and I'm making no money so don't sue me. It would be a waste of time.  
  
  
Of Mutants and Immortals  
By Animefreek  
  
**denote thoughts  
  
  
  
Chapter Sixteen  
  
  
Amanda found her daughter lying unconcious on the floor as she was coming down the stairs from her room. A torrent of emotions came flowing through her body as she quickly rushed toward her daughter and called out for help and Duncan. By now the X-Men were a finely oiled machine when it came to preparing the medlab and Catherine was quickly shuffled their in the arms of her father.  
  
  
Hank was perplexed to say the least. All of Catherine's vitals were completely normal and by all his accounts she should be wide awake. Amanda was holding her daughter's hand and praying that all those years ago when she made her daughter that some mistake in calculations wasn't causing this strange behavior now. She gave all the information about Catherine's physiology that pertanent to Hank that morning and barely missed becoming the object an experiment herself. Labs may have suited her fancy before but now they were a constant reminder of all the friends and the lover she'd lost.   
  
  
Suddenly Catherine let out a groan and was beginning to open her eyes, much to the relief of Amanda. "How long was I out this time?" Catherine asked while holding her head and trying to sit up. Hank tried to get her to lay back down, but Amanda knew that if she wanted to sit or even walk out she'd do it no matter what anybody said. She was stubborn like her father. Fortunately Duncan, Conner and the rest of the X-Men had gone to various places to try and dig up clues on where Methos could have gone. Joe had to go the local Watcher HQ and try to prevent an all out war on immortals from breaking out. She didn't envy him his job, playing both sides of the same card was risky and the Watchers have been know to turn on their own.  
  
  
"You've been out about an hour now." Amanda spoke softly while brushing Catherine's hair out of her face. "Realy. It only felt like I was out a couple of minutes." Catherine said, then turned her attention on her very hairy doctor. "Got anything for a headache in your little black bag doc?" Catherine said weakly.  
  
  
"Most assuredly my young comrad. You will be without that minor annoyance soon." Hank said cheerfully. Catherine wasn't sure of whether he was happy that she was all right or the fact she was lying still long enough for him to examine her some more. Immortals had of late become a hobby to him and he wanted to know as much about their systems before and after immortality set in as he could. He'd already found out that immortal blood was a universal donor and was immune to every disease that he could get his hands on without frightening the rest of the inhabitants of the mansion. Duncan had become a willing particpant at first but was now tired of being a human pin cushion. Conner on the other hand wouldn't even go near the lab.  
  
  
Catherine turned on her side to face her mother and mouthed the words "We need to talk". Amanda nodded and kissed her on the forehead. "Hank could we have a moment?" Amanda ordered more than asked. Hank shuffled out of the room to let the two talk in private.  
  
  
"Mom Methos is coming back with reinforcements and you need to tell me everything you know about Cass and her powers." Catherine stated bluntly. Amanda was dreading that question because she didn't have all the answers and most of them were incomplete. "Well hun its a long story." Amanada paused and sighed. "Well you're immortal and right now I'm patient so spill." Catherine said with a smirk.   
  
  
"Okay but you asked." Amanda straightened in her seat and began. "Cassandra as far as I know was a mutant and an immortal like you will become, but most of her skills focused around the occult and real magic. She had been taught by some of the greatest sorcerers throught time. Merlin, Morgan, to name a few." Amanda said softly. Catherine's head was spinning. "So all that stuff about King Arthur and his knights and Merlin isn't a myth." Catherine asked. Amanda knodded.  
  
  
"So where do I start?" Catherine queried. "At the beginning or at least with some of Cassandra's books, lets take a trip to her estate. I'm sure Richie is their and he may know where she kept her journals." Amanda stated. "I don't want to tell the others about this just yet, who knows what Conner, Dad, and the others might do if they find out. I'm starting to creep Dad out as it is." Catherine said with a smirk.  
  
  
After they left the mansion, to the protest of Hank they ended up in front of Cassandra's estate just in time to catch Richie parking in front of the door. "Richie!" Catherine yelled as she ran up to him and embraced him tightly. Richie was glad to see her but he wasn't happy that she was out in the open without Duncan or one of the X-Men to protect her. If she were to become an immortal at her age she wouldn't last very long on her own and not to mention the mental damage. Being a child on the outside and an old woman on the inside would drive her crazy. Kenny would be a great example for that arguement, who knew where that little phsycopath was or what he was planning.  
  
  
Richie directed the two women toward Cassandra's neglected study. All three were amazed at how many books she'd been able to stuff into such a small space. Many of the older volumes were stacked on the floor. Amanda and Catherine started on those first. Richie went to Cassandra's bedroom to look for his friend's journals. All Catherine and Amanda told him was that they needed all of Cassandra's Journals so they could know what to do next. Most of the day was spent in silence as both mother and daughter read through the old texts. Catherine and Amanda realized that some of the texts were priceless to any collector or museum but for now they had to smother their mutual want of worldly possessions and enter Cassandra's world.  
  
  
**Latin is a dead language but thankfully mom saw fit to teach it to me anyway.** Catherine thought to herself as she read on of Cassandra's journals. ** What a perfect place to hide your journals, right in plain sight.** Catherine found it hard to believe half of what she was reading incantations, spells, stories of Cassandra's loves and loses. Amazing. There was so much to learn about the powers that Cassandra possessed and could summon. It made Catherine wonder why Cassandra didn't use them against Methos. She came up with two answers. One, she couldn't for some reason or two, she wanted to die. The last made her shudder. Could a person live so long, seen so much that they wanted to die? **How long will I live before I want to die?** Catherine thought while looking over at her mother.  
  
  
Amanda smiled and looked up at her daughter. Catherine was growing into a woman that would someday astound the world, she had to live and write a new future. Maybe she could stop the game. Amanda shook herself out of her revelry as soon as she saw her daughter's head drop and her hand rise to her temple.  
  
  
**Oh great I'm going to black out again.** Thought Catherine. To her surprise she didn't, instead she stood and found herself walking toward a painting in the main hall of the estate. The portrait was of Cassandra in an almost antebellum dress. As she reached up to touch it she saw flashes of Cassandra's past. She knew how to use the rest of Cassandra's powers now and as a demonstration she changed the appearence of her clothes to match the dress of in the portrait. At that moment she was part witch, part immortal, and felt more human and alive than in any other part of her life. She remember what the incantations where for and how to preform them. This was her edge against this new enemy and Methos.  
  
  
Amanda watched in amazement as her daughter's aire changed from thoughtful to all knowing. Just like Cassandra's gaze. She watched as her senses felt the swirl of power and knowledge. Richie watched too but the expression on his face wasn't awe, it was fear.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile back at the mansion Hank was getting a royal butt reaming from Conner and Duncan about letting Amanda and Catherine go out alone. The Professor had never seen Duncan so mad. He tried to calm the fears of the two immortals to no avail. The Professor did the only thing he could do, say that Hank was no match for the combined talkative power of Amanda and Catherine together. This caused the Highlanders to pause and then burst out into laughter. At that moment Catherine and her mother waltzed into the rec room with broad smiles as if nothing had happened at the estate.  
  
  
"What"s all the yelling about?" Catherine said as she plopped down beside Bobby and placed her chin on his shoulder. Duncan was about to blow his top when Amanda sauntered in front of him and put a finger to his lips and kissed him on the cheek. Just as she thought this was enough to throw him off for a second, just long enough to give Catherine a chance to speak. "Mom and I went to Cassandra's to see if we could figure out Methos' next move was from Cassandra's journals after all she knew him best." Catherine said with a strange knowing tone. Jean looked at the young girl and sensed something was different.  
  
  
Duncan couldn't argue with the logic of the move but he could argue with the lack of thought toward personal safety. Conner was upset but not as much. He knew that the girl had to make decisions on her own especially concerning her fate. Methos wasn't playing by the rules and neither could they anymore. "Catherine what did you find out?" Conner asked blankly. No way was Catherine going to freek anyone else out by telling them she was a witch now and could bacically do all the stuff that witches were believed to do. "Nothing much, (big lie) we found some of Cassandra's old journals but nothing that give us an edge (another lie) or tell us whats going on in Methos' mind.  
  
  
**Gee what am I suppose to say? Methos whose trying to kill me may not be Methos at all. Lets try and spare his life, maybe we can change him.** Catherine thought to herself as she and Bobby listened to the others make plans and check databases. **I think tonight I'll see just kind of link I have with Methos. From what I saw at Cassandra's Methos' mind might not be his to control. Their seemed to be some kind of struggle.**   
  
  
Jean couldn't help but try to peak into Catherine's mind, but she get through her defenses. **Professor, I get past Catherine's defenses now, somehow she seems stronger than me now.** Jean thought to the Professor. **I sense something different about our newest member is different. Let her come to us.** The professor thought back.   
  
  
A week passed after the happenings at Cassandra's estate and Catherine's attempts to contact Methos through their link had had few if any results. She definately knew that the man trying to kill her wasn't in control and she also knew that the one in control was growing more powerful and parnoid by the second. She managed to explain what was happening to Duncan, Conner, Jean, and the Professor. None were pleased, but the Professor seemed the least pleased of all. This intruder in the mind of Methos had all the ear marks of one of the Professor's worst and most powerful enemies.   
  
  
Over the same week Amanda was becoming more and more nervous around Remy. She didn't know what to say to him or how to say it but she had to figure it out soon. There was no way she was ready to reveal that part of her past to Duncan or her daughter. There was no way she could make it up to Remy either.   
  
  
Remy found himself watching Amanda intently for some time. He couldn't shake the feeling that he knew her. Then it hit him like a tone of bricks as he heard Amanda talking in a heavy French accent. "Mon petite, light of my life." Amanda said teasingly. Remy remembered a woman who said that to him when he was a little boy and told him she'd always take care of him. Remy rushed toward the two women.  
  
  
"Tell me you are not Amanda Dupree Labeau!" Remy shouted. Amanda bowed her head. "I am or at least I use to be." Amanda said quietly. Remy went down on his knees sobbing. "Mom whats going on here?" Catherine asked confused. "Catherine I want you to meet your step-brother." Amanda said slowly.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile somewhere dark a tortured soul was begging to be released from its prison. A pale middle aged man sat looking into a mirror sweating, trying to fight against an evil unknown to him. "I don't want to kill her she's no threat to me, she's my best friend's daughter. She doesn't want to fight, she just wants to be left alone." Methos screamed into the mirror before the pressence took control again. **This girl's attempts at contact are shattering my control. She has to die now, I won't let her grow strong enough to destroy me.** The pressence spoke telepathically.  
  
  
  
  
Okay how you like that. review please. I want more that Five reviews I don't care if they are from the same person. just review and let me know what you think. I know its only one chapter so sue me. The end is coming soon.  



	9. Part Nine

  
Disclaimer: The X-Men and Highlander characters belong to their prospective owners and not me. I only wrote this fanfic for my own entertainment and I'm making no money so don't sue me. It would be a waste of time.  
  
  
Of Mutants and Immortals  
By Animefreek  
  
**denote thoughts  
  
  
Chapter Seventeen  
  
  
Remy's thoughts and emotions came crashing down on him like a barrage of hail on a winter's day. He felt his blood run hot and cold at the same time. His mind kept racing back to his childhood and the only woman he had ever called mother.   
  
  
---------------Flash back New Orleans------------------  
  
  
Remy was in no mood for another lesson from Jean-luc and had managed to escape the watchful gaze of his adoptive father and mentor. The cobblestoned streets of Bourbon were his only refuge sometimes. He liked having a roof over his head and not having to scrounge for his next meal, but sometimes Jean-Luc was more than he could take. As he strolled down bourbon he watched the many tourists and listened to the various conversations in both english and French. One particular conversation in particular caught his interest highly. It was between a tall blonde woman and a man with sandy blonde hair.  
  
  
"Amanda its the score of a lifetime!" The sandy haired man said with a northern accent. "My dear all you have to do is stroll in and out. They won't know what hit'em." Amanda watched her companion with questioning eyes as he explained his latest scheme. Stealing a priceless piece of pottery from the New Orleans Museum of Art was risky enough but he wanted her to do it in a room full of people at a charity dinner. "Marcus are you insane? After hours most definately, a piece of cake but not during its going to be impossible." Amanda said annoyed. Remy's curiousity was peeked and he decided to listen.  
  
  
"No its not. All we need is a proper distraction and replacement for the said piece." With that Marcus pulled out a perfect replica of an urn that was going to be on display the following night at the charity ball. Amanda leaned in mischievously and asked "Whats the distraction?"   
  
  
Remy quickly ran home to tell Jean-Luc. Freelance thieves in New Orleans had to be dealt with.  
  
  
----------------------End Flashback---------------------  
  
  
Remy was calm now and the trio was outside sitting in a clearing in the nearby woods. "Remy I wanted to come back but I couldn't. It killed me to leave you with Jean-Luc." Amanda started. "Don't the damage is done now you lied to me and I payed for your lie." Remy's voice was ragged and Catherine saw silent tears start to stream down his face. Casting a silent glare at her mother she scooted closer to Remy and hugged him. Amanda cleared her throat and continued where Remy had left off.  
  
  
---------------FlashBack NewOrleans-------------------  
  
  
Amanda watched the little boy who was obviously listening to the conversation that she and Marcus were having. She caught herself thinking that he seemed like a sweet little boy. ***Ahhh Amanda stop that. This is no time to be having a maternal thought.*** Amanda thought as Marcus was spilling the details of their latest caper. **I know that kid. He's Jean-luc Lebeau's apprentice, he'll probably tell Jean-luc everything. Damn.*** Marcus started to speak up to get the thief's attention again. "Marcus you don't have to yell my hearing is perfect." Amanda said tritely. Remy stifled a giggle. "I have an idea, Amanda started, lets continue this at Cafe Dumonde I'm in the mood for some hot chocolate." "Fine I'll meet you there in an hour to go over the details for tomorrow night." Marcus grunted. He hated it when the older immortal brushed him off for reasons that she never disclosed.  
  
  
**Marcus is such an ameture. He didn't even notice the kid easedropping on every word. If he was the thief he claimed to be he would have spotted the kid immediately.** Amanda thought as she walked down the busy street and giggled to herself as she saw the young auburn haired boy run in the opposite direction. **This is going to be fun. The Theives guild on my tail for a little while. I haven't played cat and mouse with them for at least three hundred years.**  
  
  
Remy went straight to Jean-Luc. Jean-Luc was, to say the least, infuriated. How dare a freelancer work in New Orleans without the guild's permission. "Remy, boy, what dis femme look like, did you hear a name?" Jean-Luc asked impatiently. "De femme name is Amanda, she ave blonde hair and dark eyes." Remy told his father proudly. "Good boy Remy where is the snatch going to be?" Jean-Luc asked. "The Museum of Art. Tomorrow night." "Good boy Remy now you leave everything else to the grownups." Jean-Luc replied with a slight smirk. Remy had seen that grin before, not many people survived that look. Pity he kind of liked what he saw and heard of the lady, she had spunk.  
  
  
At Amanda's Hotel  
  
  
Jean-Luc's apprentice was no doubt giving a vivid retelling of Marcus' plan. Marcus was definately trying on her nerves, the one time he comes up with a half decent idea he has to spill everything in front of a thieves guild apprentice. **Oh well, Marcus will just have to take the fall for this one. I on the other hand have plans of my own that don't include some dusty old piece of pottery. Those things are hell to fence.** Amanda thought as she admired her new black dress in the mirror. "After all what kind of woman would I be if I passed up diamonds for pottery." Amanda said out loud.  
  
  
The Next Night at the Ball  
  
  
Amanda had to admit she was definately looking good in her new dress. Versacci definately did something for her, investing in the company was going to prove worth her while. Heads turned as Marcus and Amanda entered the foyer. Amanda beamed and quickly turned into the social butterfly she trained herself to be for centuries. Marcus was obviously sizing up the crowd, Amanda mentally rolled her eyes and quickly managed to separate herself from the crowd. As the night progressed Amanda danced and socialized putting on the guise of the rich heiress from Paris. Slowly she made her way to the outer room were the jewelery exhhibit was. A mischievous smirk creeped across her face.   
  
  
The ball ended rather uneventfully and all the New Orleans social climbers went their separate ways until the next affair. Amanda could tell that Marcus was pissed and she soon caught an ear full. "Amanda the set up was perfect,why did you let the perfect distraction go to waste?" Marcus almost growled. "Marcus dear did you notice a small boy the other day on the curb in front of the resturant where we were talking?" Amanda asked with a smile. "Yeah, what about him? Just a kid." Marcus was starting to sound as dense as she thought he really was. "Well my friend if you really did your research about this city you'd know that that "innocent" little boy was the apprentice of the King of Thieves himself. He undoubtably told Jean-Luc everything. If we took anything tonight we'd be at the bottom of the Mississippi by dawn." Amanda said with the tone of a teacher. "In fact one of the guild is following us right now." Amanda shot a look across her shoulder to a tall man with a jet black mane of hair and a mustache.  
  
  
  
Marcus was about to panic and Amanda was smiling with glee. **What an ameture. We're immortal, they don't know that, and he's scared.** Amanda was now grinning like a chestire cat. "What do you say we have a little fun with them? Did you bring your sword?" Amanda asked. Marcus just knodded knowing that when Amanda had that look trouble was sure to follow.  
  
  
Amanda quickly turned around to face her tracker and unsheathed her sword. Marcus wondered how she could have hidden a sword in that dress, but knew better than to ask. He could never get a straight answer from Amanda anyway. Jean-Luc looked both peturbed and impressed. One in the fact that Amanda had known he was following her and the fact that she had managed to conseal a small broad sword in such a revealing dress. He quickly shifted to the thoughts to the back of his brain.   
  
  
"Really Mr. Lebeau I would have expected a better tail than that. Or did you want me to notice you over there?" Amanda said with a smirk. Jean-Luc was getting more annoyed by the second by this insolate woman, how dare she mock the king of thieves. "Woman you try my patience, I don't usually fight women but since you seem to be challenging me I'll oblige you." With that said swiped across Amanda's chest barely missing her and leaving a slight split in the front of her dress. Amanda gave Jean-luc her most evil and unnerving smile. She had only planned on playing with the man a little bit before taking the diamond collection later that night, now she was going to give him something to remember her by.   
  
  
Amanda matched his every sword stroke with equal speed and zest. She enjoyed every minute of the battle, but since she had diamonds to steal this fight had to end. After all she had a schedule to keep. Amanda quickly manuvered the fight into a near by alley. She quickly  
disarmed the king of thieveswith a thrust of her broad sword and knockede him out with a lightening fast round house to his head. **He's rather...attractive in his sleep to bad he's such an arrogant bastard. Then again I'm a fine one to talk.** Amanda thought as she bounded out of the other end of the alley and left Marcus to his fate.  
  
  
Meanwhile Marcus was in trouble. Jean-Luc's goons had moved in on him and made quick business of him. The young immortal was a very good swordsmen but he was outnumbered. Thankfully they made Marcus'death quick. The last thing he thought was how he was going to get even with Amanda for this.  
  
  
-----------------------EndFlashback--------------------  
  
  
Catherine had managed to put a comforting arm around Remy and unconciously he put his around her waist. Amanda wondered how she could raise a child so innocent and worldly at the same time. Catherine could be such a comfort to anyone she met and she hadn't met a person yet that Catherine hadn't managed to win over in some small degree. Amanda inwardly sighed and wondered what her life would have been like if she had been able to raise Remy like she had planned. What would Catherine have been like if she had a big brother to watch over her? Amanda decided to continue the story to dispell the awkward silence eminating from both her children.   
  
  
"To make a long story a little shorter I stole the diamonds that night and decided to rub it in the face of the theives guild. After a few weeks of hiding and ducking from them I was captured and given an interesting choice; either I could die or I could marry the king of theives. It seemed that over the weeks I spent taunting and running that I made quite the impression on him. So I agreed to marry him, I figured that if I got tired of the situation I could always kill myself and start over. How was I to know that I'd become so attached to a certain little boy." Amanda was on the verge of tears. She'd watched Remy over the years secretly and wanted to be his mother but the fates had erased all hope of that ever happening. She was about to continue when Remy cut in.  
  
"Oui, chere ya make a big impression on Jean-Luc, ya all he talked bout for weeks. How you out smarted his best at ev'ry turn. I remember the night he caught ya, he tol me that I might have a beautiful momma to learn from and take care o' me and for a little while I did." Remy said looking down at Catherine's hand in his. He felt very jealous of the girl for a second. She had the vibrant woman for her mother all her life and all he had was a few weeks of happy memories. Memories he charished, but sometimes they weren't enough.  
  
  
"Mom why'd you leave him?" Catherine asked. Amanda could see what her daughter was doing. Usually she never asked "why" questions, often with immortals "why" was difficult and conplicated to explain in simple terms. Catherine only asked because she knew that these things had to be said. Amanda cursed herself and Duncan sometimes for having a child that was so much like them both yet totally different at the same time. Amanda sighed and simply said, "The Assasians killed me." "I never told Jean-Luc about my immortality and after the car explosion their was no coming back for me. I had to start over again. I missed you so much Remy, but after what happened I couldn't scare you like that. You were just a little boy, to have your dead mother come back for you would have been too much even for that street smart little boy I fell in love with." Amanda wanted to reach out to him and call him her "Petite, light of her life." She just didn't know if she should.  
  
  
Like a dream come true for Amanda, Remy reached out to her and hugged her. He couldn't help himself it was something that he had wanted to do for most of his life. Although he never thought it would be possible. Catherine smiled and looked as though she were going to cry. "I always wanted a big brother, who would have guessed he'd be a thief like me and mom, what a bonus." Catherine joked. Remy and Amanda stared at her for a second and burst into tear filled laughter. "Can I call you petite like I used to?" Amanda asked. Remy hugged her even closer and she took that as a yes. All of a sudden Remy grabbed Catherine in the hug too. "I knew I liked ya fo some reason chere, ya just like ya momma." Remy kissed her on the forehead and hugged them both as tightly as he could.   
  
  
Chapter Eighteen  
  
  
The happy trio decided to end the "family moment" and return to the mansion. They hadn't decided how to tell the others about the resent developments that had transpired between them. Amanda was especially worried about telling Duncan, the shock of having a daughter was enough to cause a fainting spell in the very experienced immortal what would be the effect of telling him that he "kinda" had a son too? **My family seems to be getting larger by the moment I wonder how Duncan and the X-Men are going to handle this. I can imagine some choking and cursing occuring.*** Catherine thought with a smile on her lips.   
  
  
Most of the X-Men and the immortals were now out on the grounds of the mansion having finished their training sessions. Most were in the gardens and enjoying what was left of an unusually quiet day. Bobby was having a rather painfull discussion with Duncan and Conner about thier roles in the Spanish American War. All Bobby had asked was did chicks ever really dig thier uniforms. Now he was getting a rather gorey lecture on how history books were in the majority wrong and how the victors of war always wrote history. After about thirty minutes Bobby was desperately searching for Catherine and a way out of this discussion. Then he saw them.  
  
  
Catherine was hugging Gambit in a much more friendly and closer way and on the other side Amanda had kissed Gambit's cheak and was ruffling his hair. The hugging he could have handled, but what came next was the straw that broke the camel's back. Catherine had tugged on Gambit's shirt and signaled him to come closer and as he leaned down she kissed him full on the lips for about two seconds by Bobby's count. He was not happy. He couldn't help but notice that the three of them had been gone a considerable amount of time and they all seemed rather drained and happy. A terrible thought struck him.  
  
  
Duncan and Conner had managed to tear themselves away from their discussion since noticing that the main party involved wasn't listening anymore. They both couldn't help but think how short people's attention spans had gotten over the centuries or was it just Bobby. Neither of the Highlanders could see what Catherine could possibly see in him. Then Duncan caught the same site as Bobby had witnessed. **Why did my daughter kiss the Cajun and why did "My" Amanda kiss the Cajun? OH NO HE DIDN'T!**  
  
  
Bobby was turning red with anger the closer the trio got to the garden. **He's a lady's man I know, but there's no way. No way she would never go for that! Calm down Bobby you are jumping to conclusions, breathe. They look happy and drained. I saw how he's eyeing Amanda this week, pretty intense to. Catherine, my Catherine would never go for that. Then again she talks as though she has some experience.** A small smile came over his face. **EWWW! No Bobby she wouldn't do that with you or Him.** He took another look at the trio. **I'm going to kill the cajun, I'm going to kill the cajun, I'm going to kill the cajun.** Was the only thing running through his mind.  
  
  
Meanwhile Duncan had drawn his sword. The only thing going through his mind was, **I'm going to kill the cajun!**   
  
  
Catherine had just given her brother a friendly kiss on the lips to welcome him to the family. She thought it would be a sweet gesture. Just then her mutant senses kicked in and a rather red blush came across her cheeks. "Chere, you the one dat kiss me, why ya blushing?" Gambit asked amused. "Remy its not you, I just picked up on a thought that Duncan and Bobby were having and I think you should run and hide and they should wash their minds out with soap." Catherine said half embarrased and half disgusted. Gambit thought for a second and then looked at his little sister, NO. "Yeah Remy, thats what they're thinking." Catherine said before he could voice his thought. "Remy not dat kinky." Remy said with an aire of huffiness. Catherine couldn't help but think that the next few minutes were going to be interesting to say the least.  
  
  
All at once things started to crash. Duncan had his sword drawn and Bobby was using his powers to make some rather nasty looking ice daggers. Catherine telepathically filled her mom in on what was happening and Amanda immediately fell over laughing. This was enough of a shock to make Bobby and Duncan stop charging at Remy long enough for Catherine to slip into their minds and tell them both they were perverted beyond words and she would never do that kind of thing especially with her own brother and they both should think better of their mother. Simultaneously both men blurted out "Your Brother!" Both men promptly looked at each other and just sat on the ground stupified.  
  
  
***Yes life with these two is going to be interesting. *** Catherine thought to her mother. Amanda just knodded and grabbed her stepson and her daughter and walked to the center of the garden where the others where. Needless to say they got a lot of different reactions from shock from Scott to joy from Rogue. Rogue was happy to see her Remy really happy about somehthing for once. Duncan was kind of peeved that Amanda hadn't told him about that time in her life, but then to know everything about an immortal would take just as many lifetimes as they had lived.   
  
  
  
Dinner was really interesting. Catherine after she had time to really think about what had transpired earlier was mad at Bobby for not trusting her to be faithfull to their relationship. He spent most of the meal trying to get her attention to try and apologize. Remy was kind of peeved too, it was his mother and sister after all and besides like he told Catherine he was not that kinky. Catherine kicked her father and boyfriend under the table many times that night making much of the conversation difficult to say the least. Amanda on the other hand was enjoying this way too much and started using Conner to make Duncan jealous. It really did warm her heart to see that Duncan still got riled up when she paid attention to someone else besides him.  
  
  
Logan was enjoying the floor show. He'd never admit it but he really liked having Catherine around, she was the only one who could continuely sneak up on him without a noise or a scent. He had to find out how she did that. That trick could come in handy. Plus she was almost as good as he was at martial arts. A couple of times she had even managed to make him pat out of the match. Not to mention her boxing lesson with Cyke, Logan had tried to tell slim that the kid knew how to kickbox. Slim earned a nasty bruise on the left side of his face for not listening. Logan hoped the kid would stay but something in his gut told him that she might have to leave them when this was all over.   
  
  
Joe had gotten back from the local Watcher HQ the next day. He had barely stopped an all out war from erupting. Most of the area Watchers were enraged, especially when they found out about Methos. Most of them thought he was a myth and others just thought the name was one another older immortal used to cover up his identity. Joe had to make up a story about Adam Pierceson disappearing to track Methos and that Methos was after an even older immortal. Of course this was a lie, but telling the truth would have been worse. It would be the witch trials all over again except immortals and anyone they thought that could be a genetically engineered pre-immortal like Catherine would be toast. There was no way that anyone was going to hurt Catherine even if he had to break every Watcher rule in the book to keep her safe. When he told his story to the others they were less than thrilled and when Catherine told them that a much stronger intity might be controling Methos the immortals were even less thrilled. All the immortals except for Amanda agreed that Catherine should be kept under lock and key until this was over.  
  
  
"What you expect me to hide like a mouse and let you and the others protect me and even die for me! No way, dad I have to fight this battle!" Catherine screamed at Duncan. "Catherine there is no way I'm letting you fight Methos, you can't fight him you're not even an immortal yet." Duncan was trying to keep his cool with his daughter but she was about as stubborn as he was. "Maybe an immortal is not what this situation is calling for." Catherine slipped. She was not ready to tell the others about the occult powers that she had "inherited" from Cassandra yet. So far the only others that really knew anything were Richie and Remy. She felt obligated to tell Remy since her was her brother now and she trusted him to keep quiet until the time was right. Richie was there when it happened, but if she could turn back the hands of time she would rather him not know. Richie seemed severely spooked when he was around her. Amanda had told him to keep a low profile until he could put on a straight face. This secret didn't need to be out yet.  
  
  
  
Meanwhile the pressence had assumed some control back over Methos. **This girl is an annoyance beyond the word. There is no way that a child could become stronger than me. Even the world's strongest mind, Charles Xavier, suffered much damage from me before he banished me to the astral plain.** The pressence thought. "Hmmmm, I tried to use the girl's mother against her and that didn't work, maybe I could use the insecuries of those around her to bring her down." The visage of Methos said aloud as he strolled down one of the many crowded sidewalks of Salem center. **Ahh, the one they call Richie is following me and from the state his mind is in right know he may be the perfect pawn to set my new plan into action.** The pressence thought.  
  
  
Richie had been tailing Methos for over an hour now and was getting angrier by the second. ***This guy has some real nerve. Just walking around in broad daylight like he didn't kill those people at the inn or Cassandra or try and kill Catherine. There he was smiling and walking down the street just like anyone else. Sometimes there's no justice in the world.*** Richie thought as he watched Methos duck into a nearby ally. **Shit! He must know I'm tailing him. Duh, Richie he can sense you, Damn.** Richie berated himself silently as he quickly followed Methos into the and abruptly pinned to the wall.  
  
  
Meanwhile back at the mansion Catherine decided to up her training sessions to a new level. She was going to take on Duncan and Conner. Duncan laughed at this idea at first until Catherine abruptly knocked her father to the floor and was holding a sword to his throat. Amanda and Remy were on the otherside of the room and watched grinning. Duncan, from the floor, shot Amanda a look that said "Why am I the last person to know things around here?". Amanda smiled even wider and gave him one of her trade mark "innocent smiles" and a wave. Amanda seeing that her daughter's idea wasn't gaining any ground with either immortal decided to chime into the conversation.  
  
  
"Duncan I have an idea (famous last words for Duncan) how about Catherine and I team up against you and Conner, this way you can judge for yourselves the extent of her skills and we call get in some much needed practice." Amanda said with a smirk on her face. Duncan hated that smirk, it always got him into more trouble than he wanted. He was about to say no when Conner agreed. His cousin could never resist a challenge, and that is just what Amanda and Catherine wanted. "Remy darling petite, could you get the Danger Room ready for us?" Amanda said in a soothing voice. Remy nodded with a smile. He knew exactly what his mother had in mind. The Highlanders were going to see just what Catherine and her mother were really made of. He had to see this.  
  
  
Back in the ally Richie was pinned to the wall by Methos and unable to reach the short sword he had hidden under his jacket. "Listen to me Richie, Methos said, I don't want to fight you, you don't understand whats really going on here." "I don't? I saw those people you killed at the inn and I saw you kill Cassandra, hell you almost would have killed Catherine if she hadn't seen through that mutant's disguise." Richie spat. "You would've killed me if I wasn't useful at the time."  
  
  
"Yes thats all true and I won't deny any of it, but everything that I've done has had one single purpose. I did it to save lives." Methos said with conviction. "Save lives! You expect me to believe that. Save lives by taking them, yeah right." Richie wanted to spit in Methos' face.  
  
  
"Yes, thats right save lives. Catherine has to die she's not suppose to be here, she's upsetting the natural order of things. Richie look at me, I know you can feel it, she's getting stronger by the minute. She will destroy us all and after she's done with the immortals she'll destroy the mortals of this world as well. I can sense her power growing and I can sense the bloodlust growing in her heart. She must be destroyed to save us all and if that means a few lives must be sacrificed then so be it. Sometimes the needs of the many outway the needs of the few." Methos said with conviction. This was definately one of the more believable preformances of his life. He then released Richie from his position against the wall. "Go, the next time you see her fight, watch closely. You'll see, she'll enjoy it. You'll see the savage light behind her eyes, the light that lets her enjoy the kill." With that said Methos walked off leaving a confused Richie Ryan to sort out his thoughts. With his back turned to Richie Methos flashed a fierce grin and a strange shadow passed behind his eyes.  
  
  
In the Danger Room Amanda and Catherine were matching the efforts of the highlanders blow for blow to the surprise of both men. Duncan never knew Amanda could fight so well, she avoided confrontation like the plague. Conner was wondering how a child as young as Catherine could match his skill in such a short period of time and what made it worse was the nagging feeling that he hadn't seen anything yet. Conner decided to test his theory.  
  
  
"Come on girl, you'll have to do better than that to survive in our world. You'll never win pulling your punches." Conner said with a grin. He was trying to make her mad so her concentration would be broken. **He's trying to make me mad. Sorry cousin that won't work. I've got more experience than that locked in this head of mine. You won't win that easily.** Catherine thought. "Aren't you going to say something girl?" Conner said mockingly. "Yes, my name isn't girl." Catherine said calmly, although she was moving now with an almost unnatural speed. She wasn't even aware of what she was doing. The wall and floors of the Danger Room seemed as if they moved with her and become gelatinous. **Well two can play at this game.** Conner thought. Duncan and Amanda were now just watching the events of the session unfold.  
  
  
Catherine hadn't even noticed that her powers both mutant and magical had kicked in by instinct. Slowly her awareness of them piqued as she felt a kind of power surge. She found herself reaching out to the minds around her and peeking in, she silently apologized to Remy instantly knowing that he wasn't quite ready for her to know everything about him. "Well well, something new for show and tell lass." Conner said in a heavy accent.   
  
  
**Keep your cool girl, he's trying to yank your strings so you'll mess up.** Catherine thought. "The name's Catherine." Catherine said in a monotone voice. Her voice was perfect but the eyes gave her away, she was pissed. **I hate it when people give me nicknames!** She thought while hiding behind an emotionless face. Just then Conner transformed into multiple versions of himself and surrounded her. "Two can play at that game cousin." She smirked. Conner wondered what she was talking about and then found out. Catherine's image split into multiple versions situated at different points in the room. "Now cousin which witch is which?" The multiple versions of Catherine spoke at the same time.  
  
  
Duncan was in shock, Amanda was smiling, and Remy was wondering if Conner could see real Catherine as well as he could. "Amanda is this a part of her mutant powers?" Duncan asked. "No this is something Cassandra gave her." Amanda answered. Amanda knew that it was going to be a long night of explaining. Conner was amazed at the young girl's improvement, he knew their was something special about her. He smiled at one of the visages knowing that it was her. He then commanded on of his own illusions to point a sword at her. Knowing that she was found out she stepped forward and to the surprise of Conner ignored the illusion and pointed the tip of sword at him. He laughed and slapped his knee. "A draw then girl, until next time." Conner said with a smile as he walked over to the girl. "She can fight with me anytime." Proclaimed Conner. "Shouldn't I be saying that to you old man?" Catherine said as she, Amanda, and Remy left the Danger Room; leaving a somewhat amused and peeved set of Highlanders. Conner turned to Duncan. "She's got spunk, I'll give her that."  
  
  
Okay next part is coming sooner than you think. Read and Review as always. Do you guys know who the pressence is? If you do I'll write you into the next fic after I finish this one. So make a guess and leave a character name and a discription. Mutant or Immortal. 


	10. Part Ten

Disclaimer: The X-Men and Highlander characters not Mine! Don't sue, only get pocket lint. Catherine is my only original character for now. The story is mine.   
  
  
Of Mutants and Immortals  
By Animefreek  
  
**denote thoughts  
  
  
Chapter Nineteen  
  
  
Over the next few weeks things went on as usual for the highlanders and the X-Men. The occasional protest turned ugly and the usual challenge from the stray immortal that happened to cross paths with them. Methos had gone underground and after Richie told them the events in Salem Center Catherine was miserable. Conner and Duncan had put her under house arrest much to the protest of Remy and Amanda. The others thought it was for her own good. Remy and Amanda tried to cheer her up but for someone with such a free and fighting spirit this was the ultimate of torture.  
  
  
"Could be worse chere, ya could be banned from going outside." Remy said trying to be positive about the situation. He'd had one ruccus arguement with the Highlanders and Scott about this drastic measure earlier. Professor Xavier had to mentally separate them. He understood all too well what his little sister was going through. Even if she gave it up and denied it, she would always be a thief and thieves needed to be free and make thier own rules. The "soldier boys" could never really understand that. "Hey chere, why don ya and me sneak out tonight. We'll hav a great time." Remy said smiling with a gleam in his eye. "Now thats definatly more my style." Catherine said as the gleam in her eyes came back. She definately needed a night out on the town. "Bon, chere. Get on ya best club outfit and I'll get Rogue and Bobby. Meet cha in the back o da garage, I trust the security system won't be a problem." Remy said smiling. "Remy, please I haven't been couped up here that long. I'll see you in an hour." Catherine said with wicked smile on her face. Remy had definately fallen in love with this little thief and would do anything to see her smile even if it meant a royal chewing out by their illustrious leader and the immortals.  
  
  
Catherine decided to put on a variation of her uniform. The leather outfit was to die for. She had on a full body catsuite with a plunging neckline that was accentuated by a long silver zipper. Around her neck was a matching leather choker with a solitary diamond in the center, also she wore a black leather bomber jacket,and she had her usual thigh high leather boots except these had high heels and silver buckles on the sides. Gambit wanted her to change her clothes while Rogue was thinking of letting her update her wardrobe. Bobby was just stunned and happy. Dressed that way she could get into any club, she definately looked years older. He was worried about getting looks when he showed up with the much younger woman, now he was worried that he'd have to peel the guys away from her.  
  
  
"Catherine how'd ya get past the security system?" Rogue asked. Catherine smiled and said, "I'll never tell.", doing her best impression of her mother. Remy smiled. "So big bro where we headed?" Catherine was beaming. "Well I thought we go to de Silver Eclipse tonight, chere." Remy boasted. The Silver Eclipse was the most exclusive nightclub in the area, all the biggest names from New York and beyond stopped in. Remy knew that a night of hobknobbing and dancing was just what the bored teenager needed. After all Amanda did raise her to be a socialite or at least to blend in.   
  
  
Catherine was in awe of the place, she had never realized that Salem Center could have a place like that. The intire interior of the club was in silver and kind of pale blue. (Very Millenium) The tables were mostly booths that opened towards the dance floor which was polished marble with strobe lights. Catherine felt like she was back in Paris at her mother's bar for a second. She and the others took a booth that was close to the bar and the dance floor. Catherine was having the best time she'd had in months. Everything was great,except for one thing, she'd never gotten Bobby on the dance floor. She'd danced with Remy and even with Rogue and Remy together but Bobby wouldn't budge. **Well if Mr. Drake won't get out here on his own I guess I'll have to go to extreme measures.** Catherine strolled up to the DJ, excentuating every step she took with a swing of her hips. This caused a lot of heads to turn. After several minutes sweat talking the DJ she was ready.  
  
  
The owner of the nightclub took his place at center stage and silenced the rowdy clubbers. "Ladies and Gentlemen, We have a very special guest tonight all the way from Paris by way of Chicago, lets give her a big hand, Miss Catherine." The clubbers roared as the stage curtain opened and the lights went dim. There in the spotlight was Catherine. Her leather jacket was gone and to the surprise of everyone the back of her catsuit was nothing more than a exposed hole from the waist up.  
  
  
As the crowd got over the initial shock the music started to play and Catherine started to sway to the rythem. Cahterine's voice slowly began to rise with the volume. Her singing voice is smooth yet husky at the same time. Then the chorus began.  
  
  
##I had to escape the city it was sticky and cruel##  
##I knew I should have called you first but I was dying to get to you##  
##I was dreaming while I drove the long straight road of your arms open wide##  
##This fever that I had was burning me up inside##  
##I drove all night to get to you.##   
  
  
Bobby and the crowd were entralled as Catherine sang her rendition of "I Drove all Night" by Cyndi Lauper. Catherine definately knew how to work a crowd she had every guy in the place stunned into a grinning silence, especially Bobby. Bobby's smile soon turned into a frown when Catherine started to with some other guy out on the floor. "Well mon ami ya shoulda danced with the femme." Remy said laughing. Bobby stood up and stalked onto the dance floor.   
  
  
Catherine was singing the chorus when Bobby grabbed her arm and and started dancing with her. This was the first time she'd seen Bobby's eyes so intense. All she could think while singing was **WoW**. **Wow Bobby can move, and I thought that he couldn't dance. Hah, all he needed was a little motivation. I'll have to remember this for later.** Catherine thought. Rouge and Remy just watched from their table at the spectacle on the dance floor. Catherine's song had long since faded and been replaced by "Ribbon in the Sky" by Stevie Wonder. The two slowly came together moving in time with the music.  
  
  
"They're really in love Remy. They make a very int'resting couple." Rogue said leaning on Remy's shoulder. "Not as int'resting as us chere, but I hope it works out for the two of them. My little sis deserves some happiness." Remy said with a sad note to his voice. Remy looked down at Rogue with a grin. "So chere what do you tink about you and me go on a vacation afta this whole mess over wit? Remy been tinking bout Paris, give him a chance to relax and get ta know his momma bit better." Remy said. "Are ya asking me, to go with ya Remy?" Rogue asked. "Chere if I wasn't Remy would have never brought it up." Remy said with a grin. "Then I accept." Rouge said with a hug and a snuggle against Remy's chest.  
  
  
Catherine was watching her brother and Rogue while dancing with Bobby. Her heart went out to the couple, from what she could get out of Remy things between them had been rocky at best. "I hope things work out for them Bobby. I kind of like having a brother and maybe someday a sister-in-law who can beat the living crap out of most of the people on the planet." Catherine said with a sigh. "You never cease to amaze me love, a million and one things are going on in your life and you have to worry about people you only just met." Bobby said in a whisper. "Well I guess its just the Highlander in me." Catherine said with a giggle. "Please don't bring your father on our dates. Its hard enough to escape his stories in the mansion. I've heard all the war stories I care to." Bobby said with a deep sigh. "Bobby he only does that because he knows it annoys you and he knows that if you kill him I'll be upset." Catherine said with a smile. They both laughed and kept dancing.  
  
  
Meanwhile on the upperlevel of the nightclub two familiar figures stood watching the pre-immortal and heroes. "How did you know that they'd show up here?" The shorter figure said to the taller one. "Its merely a matter of understanding your prey, she couldn't stay locked up for long and the cajun's respect for authority is next to none. The temptation for the duo simply became to much for them to take. Plus the tastes of the mother and daughter don't vary much, this place is close enough to the mansion to allow them to get back in time enough not to be missed and it is somewhat trendy. Mother and daughter are nothing if not trendy." The taller man said. "Isn't it about time you got into position, after all I want her disappearence to be a smooth one." The shorter man knodded to the taller man and proceeded to the dance floor.  
  
  
--------ON The Dance Floor-------------------------------  
  
  
"Hey can I cut in or is she taken for the rest of the night?" Richie said winking at Catherine. Before Bobby could say a word Richie had already cut in and was heading toward the other end of the floor with Catherine. "Life in Mono" started playing in the background as Catherine shot a very annoyed Bobby a wide grin and signaled him to go sit for a while. Richie and Catherine danced gracefully through the crowd then Catherine noticed something was off. Richie wasn't moving like himself at all. She tried to stop her outward responses but it was too late, her shoulders had tensed and her movements had become all too practiced. **Somethings wrong with Richie and I'm afraid to look into his eyes. Okay girl one of two things could happen here:   
  
1) He could be under the control of that pressence that you sensed in Methos.  
2) Richie your best friend and student has just betrayed you.  
  
Okay girl here comes the moment of truth, look into his eyes and let your powers loose. I hope its the first choice.**  
  
Catherine thought as she danced. She didn't notice that she was now dancing in a corner with Richie or that she was out of ear shot and sight of the others. Right then and there she looked into Richie's eyes. "Nice song for a betrayal isn't it." Catherine said as the venom in her voice creeped into her eyes. Richie quickly shoved her against the wall and bruised her lips with a quick kiss. "Why couldn't you love me?" Richie whispered into the shocked girl's ear before another figure quickly covered Catherine's mouth and nose with a damp cloth.   
  
  
Catherine could see what was coming in Richie's eyes and just before she blacked out she was able to let out a telepathic scream to all the X-Men and immortals. Xavier sat up in his bed and telepathically called out to Catherine and heard nothing more. Quickly he scanned the area where Catherine's thoughts had originated and definately found something he wish he hadn't, the Shadow King. Quickly Xavier sent a message to Jean to assembly the team and immortals.  
  
  
At the same time in the club Bobby, Rogue, and Remy started making their way through the sea of club goers. Catherine was nowhere in sight and all three were starting to get a sinking feeling in the pits of their stomachs. Then came the scream. It jarred the trio with a force that rivaled Xavier. They split up immediately Rogue headed toward the front of the building, while Remy went to check out the alley and Bobby went to check the far end of the club.  
  
  
**Oh God what have I done? He's going to kill her. All this because I was hurt and Jealous. NO. I was just scared. Scared of her and the newness of what she was and of the powers. What have I done?** Richie thought as Mystique carried the now unconcious Catherine out a side door. **You did what you had to do Richie. She's too powerful, she'll destroy us all.** A voice that sounded like Methos said in his head. **There's no turning back now you've done the unspeakable as far as the Highlanders and Amanda are concerned. They won't forgive you even when they find out you were right.** "Methos" said inside of Richie's mind.   
  
  
Meanwhile Remy had just rushed into the alley in time enough to see an unmarked black van speed off into the night. "Damn!" He cursed into the night air. Quickly he tapped the communicator on the lapel of his duster, to his surprise Xavier was already on the line and had ordered them to report back to the mansion immediately. Remy really didn't want to go back and face the others, but right then he needed them to find his little sister.  
  
  
"What possessed you to disobey a direct order? She was to stay under constant watch within the mansion grounds!" Scott barked. Remy knew his excuse was a sorry one but they would have to understand. Or did they. After voicing his excuse Scott was about to let loose again when Conner stepped in. "Let him be. The girl would have left on her own sooner or later anyway, and as for blame we can all share in that easily. We spent so much time trying to protect her that we forgot what she'll become one day. She may be the only one who can fight this battle if my suspicions are correct." Conner said calmly. Duncan and Amanda knodded somberly. They were taking it amazingly well considering that this was their child.  
  
  
"My friend Conner your suspicisions are correct." The professor chimed in. "We're not dealing with just a mad immortal here, there is another intity inhabiting him." The others stared at the professor. "Professor who or what is it?" Scott asked. The professor took a deep breath and sighed. "The Shadow King." The X-Men were in utter shock, especially Storm. "How can this be?! You banished the shadow King to the astral plane years ago." Storm said in an uncharacteristically emotional voice. "I don't know I was hoping one of our immortal friends could help to solve that riddle." The professor said. "Perhaps if we could pinpoint exactly when and where the Shadow King pocessed Methos we could find out where he has taken her." Xavier said.  
  
  
"How's that Charles?" Duncan asked. "That place is where the rip in the astral plane occured and will be where the Shadow King is most powerful. If my guess is right, it may be the only place he could possibly destroy her now. Catherine has become, shall we say much stronger, as of late." Xavier said with a knowing glace at the immortals and Remy. The rest of the team was in the dark. "I suppose since I was there I should explain." Amanda said with a sigh. She told the whole story of what happened that day at Cassandra's estate, to say the least the emotions of the group went from amazement to disbelief.   
  
  
"Duncan you've known Methos the longest out of all of us, do you think you can pinpoint the change in his behavior?" The professor said interrupting the barrage of questions that was about to come. This was not the time for questions, at least not those. "Know that I think back on it I think I can." Duncan said somewhat confidently.  
  
  
Meanwhile Catherine was waking up from her drug induced sleep. Pain shout through her head as she tried to sit up and was abruptly pushed back down. Catherine saw the last two people she wanted to at that moment. Methos and Mystique. The scar across Mystique's left cheek was very prominent now and the evil grin that flashed across her face was less than reassuring to the sixteen year old. "Well well sleeping beauty has awakened. Can I get you anything, a drink perhaps? After all a girl should be comfortable on her last few days on earth." Mystique chirped. Catherine grimmaced at the comment and then smirked. "How's the face shapeshifter? Scarring is all the latest rage these days." Catherine smiled at her quick wit. Unfortunately this earned her a hard slap to the face. "You do like to tempt fate don't you dear, if you weren't prophecised to destroy me I'm sure we would have been the best of friends." Methos said grinning.  
  
  
"Don't bet on it. Maybe I could have been friends with the real Methos, but never you." Catherine said in a cold monotone voice as she stared at the creature behind Methos' eyes. "So you're not as naive as I thought you were. I suppose you're not. You couldn't be with as much trouble as you've been to me lately. Trying to contact Methos and break down the barriers that I have around him. You really are a nuisance." Methos said mockingly. "I'm not a nuisance to you, I'm a threat otherwise I wouldn't be tied up in a van would I. You know if I get half a chance I'll find a way to destroy you or at least send you back to where you came from." Catherine's voice was as cold as ice now and 'Methos' couldn't help but outwardly flinch. "You won't get a chance to my dear, once we reach our final destination and I properly prepare you're going to die and I'll have every precious ounce of power and knowledge in that worthless body of yours." 'Methos' smiled. "Mystique my dear drug her for the rest of the trip, I don't want to hear her mouth." 'Methos' ordered.  
  
  
"I think I know where they're headed." Joe said. Up until now Joe was silent but he thought he could help the situation now. "Methos started acting strangely after the battle with his former horsemen buddies maybe thats where Methos was possesed."  
  
  
"I was thinking along the same lines Joe. He never was the same after that. I chalked it up to all the bad memories and Cassandra's hatred of him. A part of him did love her very much at least then." Duncan commented. "If my memory serves me right Adam, methos' alterego, started issuing more information about Methos shortly after that to the Watcher council. I remember at the time it didn't seem like him at all, I mean giving up all that information he's usually very reserved about handing out information about his past lives." Joe added.   
  
  
"Where exactly did this incident happen? I could use Cerebro to check for any anamolies in the area. The Shadow King may be powerful but he can't cover up a rip in the astral plane." Xavier interjected. "Just outside of Paris. It was an abandoned metal factory about twenty miles west of the city." Duncan said. The Professor donned the Cerebro helmet and zeroed in on the area. Sure enough there was the rip. The apparent cause of the rip must have been the residual effect of both of those powerful quickenings at the same time. To top it all off Joe tapped into Adam's financial holdings and found that he owned the property that the factory was on.  
  
  
"Scott. Jean and I will be heading this mission our TK and TP powers will be of more use in the field. We'll be heading in with Duncan, Amanda, Conner, Wolverine, and Iceman. Wolverine and Iceman should be able to handle any hired men. Remy and Rogue will cover the back of the factory and secure an appropriate escape route. While Hank and Storm will be our eyes when we enter the factory and ready the portable medlab if injuries occur. Scott I'll need you to coordinate between all of us." Xavier ordered. "Yes sir. Okay you heard the professor we have to move out now." Everyone moved toward the Blackbird hanger,except for Joe he had to make sure that no watchers would be in the area. All any of them needed was civilians getting in the way.  
  
  
Chapter Twenty  
  
  
Catherine woke up again, only this time she found herself in what seemed to be a huge steel cage. Her surroundings seemed familiar but the pain in her head kept her from focusing on anything in particular. **Ack. When I get out of this place, some people are gonna pay big time! Especially Mystique.** Catherine thought as her mind and eyes slowly focused on her surroundings and the fact that she was wearing some sort of collar around her neck. **This place seems familiar, shit!, I'm in the factory where all this stuff started.** Catherine thought as she focused on Cassandra's memories. The prophecy that Cassandra spoke and her father's words spun in her head. Everything started to put itself together in her mind. The phophecy wasn't meant for the real Methos at all it was meant for... The Shadow King. **Damn what have I gotten myself into? According to the X-Men files this guy is supposed to be trapped in the astral plane. How'd he get out?** Catherine mused in her cage. **OH MY God! Cassandra you weren't talking to Methos at all were you. You knew all a long this had to happen, that your end was my beginning. The Shadow King must have escaped the astral plain when both Methos and Dad had those huge quickenings. A disturbance with that great of an amount of energy could certainly cause a glitch or two in the wrong places.** Catherine thought to herself as she started to fully take in her surroundings. She noted that the scientist side of Amanda was starting show in her persona as well.  
  
  
Richie stood watching the young woman who had ignored his affections from the shadows. **Have I done the right thing?** He asked himself as he turned and started walking towards 'Methos'.  
  
  
The flight to Paris in the blackbird was a bit long a bit too long for the immortals. There long lives had not blessed them with immeasureable patience and in Amanda's case it seemed to lesson it even more. Remy wanted to ring Richie's immortal neck for betraying them to the shadow king. Bobby on the other hand wanted to kill him. The others just wanted to get her back. Conner had the sneaking suspicion that none of the other immortals would be truly needed in this battle but rather afterwards. He had the feeling that Catherine would have a lot to deal with and a lot of decisions to make.  
  
  
Meanwhile Catherine was getting more and more pissed by the second especially since she noticed that she was wearing a power inhibiting collar around her neck. **Great, I can't use my TP or TK to get out of this mess. I guess I'm back to square one until I can get this thing off and great the one night you don't bring so much as a lock pick with you. You're a genius Catherine. Mom would dig into me bad if she knew. Hell she probably already knows. I wonder if I can use my magic still, with this collar around my neck?** Catherine thought as she sat in the center of the cage.   
  
  
Just then Richie and 'Methos' dressed in black walked out of the shadows. As if on instict Catherine jumped into a battle stance and prepared herself mentally for a fight. The Highlanders and Wolverine would be proud of the way she hid her fear as the two men walked up to her prison. 'Methos' was about to say something when Catherine beat him to the punch. "So come to gloat or try and finish the job 'Shadow King'?" Catherine spat. Her voice was pure venom. It made Richie visibly shudder. He never thought Catherine could sound so cold. Catherine shot Richie a look that just oozed the word traitor.  
  
  
The shadow king smiled and stepped up to her cage with a sarcastic grin and clapped his hands together in applause at Catherine. "So you finally put two and two together my dear good for you. Too bad you didn't think not to trust those closest to you. You might have bought youself a little time." He was so confident that it made Catherine want to break every bone in his smiling face. "When I get out this cage, you'll be smiling out of the other side of 'Methos' face. I may not have my mutant powers but I can still kick your sorry butt." Catherine said. "My dear when you get out of that cage you'll die and then I'll have all your powers and knowledge and the other immortals of the world will be easy pickings. I'll rule this world yet." 'Methos' said.  
  
  
Richie stood in the background listening. **What did she mean by Methos' face? Rule the world?** Then he was stirred from his musings. "Richie you truly are gullable. That's not even the real Methos." Catherine said jerking a finger toward Methos. "You let him turn you against me, let him use your fear and doubt to cloud what you know is right." Catherine said with disgust directed towards 'Methos'. Richie just stood there silently with a hundred thoughts going through his mind. He'd made one of the biggest mistakes of his life and depending on how mad the others where at him it might be the last mistake he ever gets to make. **I've got to do something. But what?** Before Richie could even take a step in the direction of the cage a TK force hurled him across the factory empaling him on through the heart as he landed on a heap of scrap metal. Catherine stifled a scream as a look of horror crossed her face.  
  
  
"Now now Mr. Ryan, no changing your mind now. You should have thought about the consequences of your actions before switching sides." The shadow king said. Richie's last thoughts before blacking out were a prayer that Catherine would forgive him. When Catherine realized why the Shadow King attacked Richie she forgave him. "I'll let you enjoy your last few hours on earth in peace my dear. I'll see you at sunset." The shadow king said with a grin plastered across Methos' sharp features. "Mystique guard our guest until then, we wouldn't want her trying to escape." Mystique strolled in out of a shadowy corner and knodded to the man as he walked away.  
  
Okay stopping right here. As always R&R. This is by far not the only Catherine story I have. Theres more x-over to come. I don't own the songs! Think Cali and Scooby gang! Thanks. 


	11. Part Eleven

Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff. X-Men/ Highlander not mine! Story and Original Character Mine!!!!!!!  
  
  
Of Mutants and Immortals  
by Animefreek  
  
**denotes thought  
// TP   
  
Chapter Twenty cont.  
  
  
Catherine leered at the blue skinned woman. Mystique smirked in triumph. Catherine needed something to do to pass the time so she decided to rain on the mutants parade a little. Maybe if she played her cards just right Mystique would make a mistake and she could out of this mess. In the back of her mind Catherine knew that the others were on their way, but she also knew that if she just sat around and awaited to rescued she could end up dead. **Whats her weak point?** Catherine asked herself. Then she perked up a bit.  
  
  
"So Mystique what did he promise you?" Catherine said trying to hold back a grin. "What does that matter to you? You'll be dead in a couple of hours." Mystique said almost cooing. "Oh just curious as to how much he's lied to you. Thats all." Catherine said. "He wouldn't lie to me. He and I are going to rule this pathetic world together." Mystique said with the venom seeping back into her voice. Catherine was entrigued. "And just how are you going to do that? After all he's in the body of an immortal and you're mortal you'll grow old and fade away into dust and he won't have aged a second." Catherine said with an obvious grin now. Catherine could see that she was getting under her guard's skin. "Yep you'll get those nasty crowsfeet and worry lines and then you know what'll happen? He'll go on to the next pretty, young....gullable mutant." Catherine said nonchalantly, purposely trying to be mean. "For your information child he's going to make me an immortal like himself once you're out of the picture." Mystique sounded so haughty when she said that, just like those so called aristocrats she stole from she had to burst her little bubble.  
  
  
  
Catherine could hardly keep the laughter out of her voice. "Make you an immortal? No one makes an immortal, you're born that way and trust me if you had the makings of an immortal I'd since it. Trust me dear he's playing you for the fool you are. If he kills me he'll have no need of you and he'll toss you away like yesterday's newspaper, that is if he feels mercifull." **Yep that did it she's about to drag me out of this cage and try to beat the living daylights out of me. Good. This collar may block my mutant powers but not magic, but magic won't help if I'm behind bars.** Catherine thought as an enraged Mystique threw open the doors of her prison and grabbed her by what little of her throat was exposed from the collar.  
  
  
Mystique was in a blind rage so she hadn't noticed that the young girl had managed to free herself from her bonds and was only faking captivity. (AN: Okay folks we have a trained theif in an abandoned metalworks with tons of metal scraps all around and simple handcuffs to bind her. Come on you knew she'd free herself.:)) Now was her chance. Catherine's knee quickly connected with Mystique's gutt knocking the wind out of her. Catherine, with her hands being free now, interlaced her hands into one big fist and brought it down on Mystique's back as she simultaneously brought up her knee again to connect with Mystique's surprised face. This effectively knocked the mutant out. Having done that and locked the cage and Mystique behind her she started to move through the factory. Hopefully Richie hadn't told the shadow king about her supernatural powers, it was the only trump card she had and she didn't want to use it too soon. If she could just get out of that damn factory before dawn, maybe she could make it to a town or even hitch a ride to Paris. At least in Paris she could loose herself in the crowds and some of Macleod's more trustworthy friends. Catherine looked at her watch, an hour to go. All of a sudden Catherine's train of thought was interupted by the sound of a large foot crunching steel and glass.  
  
  
All of the X-Men where gettig more anxious by the second. The up coming battle was going to be tough and things got even tougher once the shadow king was in the picture. The original plan was to have the X-Men go in, secure Catherine and get her out, and the immortals would handle Methos. Now that the Shadow king was involved everything changed. Methos, the real Methos, was just as much a victom as Catherine. Professor X. being the humanitarian that he is now had to find a way to eject the shadow king from Methos' body, send him back to the astral plane, and close the rift that released him, all this and still manage to get everybody out alive. Things were definately not going as planned. The immortals agreed to the more complicated plan but stood fast on fact that Methos might have to be sacrificed to save Catherine. Most of the X-Men had quams about killing especially Jean, but as Conner explained it was a way of life for most immortals and as much as they themselves hated the idea they were all essentially killers until the last was left.  
  
  
Back at the factory Catherine was having problems of her own. It turned out that she only had an hour left to live and the guy standing behind her was none other than Sabertooth himself. "You smell of the runt." He said in a disgusted tone with a half smile on his face. "Gee and I thought it was CoCo Channel." Catherine said sarcastically trying to cover up her fear. Sabertooth swiped at the young girl knocking her backward. "Now now can't damage the goods Shadow King wouldn't like that, but maybe the goods can damage you!" Catherine said as she hurled a metal pipe at her capture's head and scurried out of site and hopefully downwind of his nose.  
  
  
"Summers how long until we arrive at the factory?" Conner asked. "Thirty minutes. Why?" Scott said. "I just have the haunting feeling that something is going to happen." Conner replied.  
  
  
Meanwhile Catherine had managed to put some distance between herself and Sabertooth. **I wish Logan were here, I'm not strong enough to take on this guy one on one.** She thought as she croutched in a dark corner of what looked like a maintenance closet. **Okay I'm down wind and hopefully the oil smell in here will cover up my scent at least long enough for me to think of a plan or for back-up to arrive. Where are you guys?** Catherine's thoughts were interupted by the sound of cursing and metal being twisted as Sabertooth tore apart the building searching for her. Her heart started racing a mile a minute, at one point Catherine wanted to scream from pure fear, then something inside her snapped.  
  
  
**Catherine for the love of god snap out of it! Think girl. There's got to be a plan lurking around somewhere in this head of yours!** Catherine thought. "Okay what do I have to work with in here?" She whispered to herself. As Catherine looked around she notice a small torch and a jug of kerosene. **Well well, why don't I show this guy some of the tricks I learned in the circus with mom? I'm sure he'll get a real light out of it. After all I can't just sit around and wait to be rescued, who do I look like Jean.** Catherine smiled and looked at her watch. "Fifteen minutes to go." she whispered to herself.  
  
  
"Fifteen minutes until we reach our destination." Scott announced. The two Highlanders and Amanda had on their game faces and to everyone around them they seemed devoid of any kind of emotion. Only Jean and the Professor could sense their uneasiness. Each immortal had the same feeling, that they wouldn't be needed in this battle. The Professor decided to break the silence. "Does everyone understand there parts?" He asked. The immortals and Logan merely nodded an affirmative. Iceman looked as though he were going to jump out of his skin. In his mind he still couldn't believe that the prof actually let him come on the mission at all, given the way he felt about Catherine. Then again he couldn't have stopped him either. Fifteen minutes and he'd have Catherine back safe; hopefully.  
  
  
Catherine stood motionless at the end of a steel walkway at least a good story above the floor of the factory. If everything went as planned Sabertooth and a good corner of the factory would be up in flames. She'd make her escape and the fire would be just the right signal to get the x-men's attention or anyone else for that matter. **Damn this collar! This thing would be so much easier if I had my TK, that way I wouldn't have to get so close to him.** Catherine thought. Just as soon as the thought was over she heard Sabertooth make his approach. Quickly she took a swig of the remaining kerosene in her mouth and readied the torch behind her back, she was about to show him the real meaning of spitfire.  
  
  
Sabertooth laughed as he approached her. "Nice try kid, trying to cover up your sent kerosene, but it lead me staight to you. Give up now and maybe I won't hurt you to bad before the boss gets here." Catherine simply knodded in response as Sabertooth crept near her, then when he was a foot away from her, like lightening she lit the torch and spit flames into the mutant's face. As he staggered to recover Catherine threw the torch onto the kerosene soaked walkway and used the surrounding dead electrical cables to swing herself to the floor. Amanda would be so proud of her acrobatics. Catherine stood in silence for a second on the floor and watched her handy work as Sabertooth fell over the egde of the walkway burning. Catherine sighed inwardly and began to look for a way out of the unfamiliar building when she heard the sound of clapping directly behind her.  
  
  
The Blackbird had just landed and our group of mutants and immortals began their quick approach upon the factory. Then suddenly an explosion of light and flame caught thier eyes. "Everyone on your guard. We have no idea what we're walking into. Jean scan the area." The professor ordered. "Professor its Catherine and oh no, the Shadow king." Jean stated worriedly. "Well we should have known Catherine wouldn't wait to be rescued." Amanda said half mockingly to the others. "Lets just hope thats not her going up in flames." Conner and Duncan stated at the same time. "Jean and I will handle the Shadow King the rest of you just get Catherine out." Ordered the professor as they reached the main entrance of the factory.  
  
  
Catherine wanted to let out a scream as the Shadow king used his TK powers to bind her body. Next to him stood a newly freed Mystique grinning as Catherine was being slowly crushed. **Damn this collar! I know my mutant powers are stronger than his! Do I try and use my powers that Cassandra gave me or do I wait?** Catherine thought as the Shadow King's grip on her tightened. The Shadow King smiled at her using Methos' visage and the chill that went through her caused her not to answer herself. Then as if by magic the evil dropped her and curled over in pain as she hit the floor the site she saw before her couldn't have been better. They came.   
  
  
Bobby and Logan rushed toward her while Duncan and Conner guarded their flanks. "Get this damn collar off of me. I have to help the professor and Jean they won't be able to defeat him alone." Catherie said in a way too calm voice that sent a chill even through Logan. "No way! You're getting on the blackbird now!" Bobby shouted. "Shut up Bobby! Look at them they're struggling to hold him now. They can't keep this up for long, they need me!" Catherine shouted as Bobby tried to pick her up. "Bobby its time for me to fight my own battles." Catherine blankly stated. Logan moved forward and sliced off her collar. "She's right popsicle. If she doesn't fight none of us might make it out alive." Logan said. The highlanders nodded in agreement. "Duncan she's your daughter!" Bobby pleaded. "She's a Macleod, she fights her own battles. Go to them girl." Duncan said in a deep Scott accent.   
  
  
Meanwhile Mystique and Amanda have begun to face off. Mystique tried to attack Jean after they advanced on the shadow king. Mystique instead caught a swift kick to the gut from Amanda. "So you're the little brat's Mommy, how sweet. After the shadow king kills your kid I can put you out of your misery." Mystique spat. "Don't count on it. I'm much more than just a pretty face and so is my daughter." Amanda said mockingly. Amanda swiped with her sword as Mystique used her powers to form one of her own. Bad idea on Mystique's part. Never challenge someone with at least 1500 years of experience. Needless to say Amanda wailed on the upstart and used her belt to tie an unconscience Mystique.  
  
  
Meanwhile Catherine started to combine her powers with that of the professor and Jean, but to no avail. **If only I could get to the real Methos.** Catherine thought. //Catherine! Help!// //Methos?// //Yes Catherine// //Methos you have to fight him with us. If you can get him out of your body I can do the rest.// //How Catherine?// //Just do it. Consentrate and gather up all the emotion you can and force it on him.//  
  
  
Methos' body began to jerk as a strange black mist began to exude itself from every pore. "No! I won't leave the pressence shouted and with a blast of TP and TK energy sent Jean and the professor reiling. Catherine was alone now and she knew it was time to use all her powers in conjunction. The prof and Jean were out. The shadow king was starting to take back control, it was now or never. The air around Catherine calmed and started to swirl the dust around her feet. //Okay Shadow King its time to go back to the astral plane forever.// //Never child. Its time for you to die. Its time for me to rule the world.// //Thats what you think monster.// Just then another blast came at Catherine, she deflected to the surprise of everyone there. An even larger blast came from Catherine hitting Methos' body and causing the shadow king to reveal himself and using her own TP and magical powers she ripped a whole in the astral plane. The shadow king was then swept up and surrounded by a light flowing from Catherine.  
  
  
Catherine's Heart felt as if it had stoped and started again in a new body. The energy she let out was massive and draining, but she had to send him back, she had to destroy his gateway forever. //I won't go back!// The shadow king thought to her. //You will or you'll die.// Catherine thought back. //Then I'll die.// //Have it your way monster.// Catherine thought. The light started to force shadow king into the tear, him screaming all the way. As a last resort the shadow king sent a energy dagger straight toward Bobby gashing him in the shoulder. That was the last straw. Something snapped again and even more energy flowed from her and encompassed the shadow king except this time it simply crushed him into nothing. Then Catherine colasped to the ground.  
  
  
Everyone including the immortals just stood frozen staring at the young girl. What happened next, no one could have predicted. Catherine began to age. Her hair became at least waist length and curlier, and her height increased three to four inches. Her body matured to the age of least 22 years. Back in the Blackbird Beast and Storm examined the still unconcious, now woman. "I can't explain the ageing as of yet, perhaps when we get back to the mansion I can run further tests, but all seems well and completely normal. As normal as a thief, future immortal and witch can be." Beast said smiling and looking down at his patient. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
  
**Back in this damn grove again. "Cassandra where are you I know you're here?" Catherine said. "And I told you that you didn't need me any more. What does a witch need to do to get some peace?" Cassansra said laughingly as she walked out into the grove that was now wonderously green and bright. Catherine smiled. "So why am I here again?" Catherine asked. "You're here so that I can say congratulations and goodbye properly. You're becoming more powerful than you know and there are going to be many more adventures befitting of a person of the Macleod bloodline. You can come to grove whenever the real world becomes to much for you, but I won't be here again. All the knowledge you'll need is in your head and the library I left behind. Now wake-up your new life is just beginning." Cassandra said smiling. "Cassandra, till we meet again." Catherine said sadly.***  
  
  
Epilogue:  
  
  
Catherine's point of view.  
  
"When I woke up a lot of things had changed, mainly me. I faint at the age of 16 and now I wake and find myself looking at least 21. I never imagined anything like this happening in my life and according to Cassandra this won't be the last adventure either. I never told anyone about what she said though. Some things are better just left to the future. Speaking of the future, against the wishes of Conner I decided to stay with the X-Men and develop the mutant side of my powers. Of course Hank and the Professor were thrilled not to mention Bobby. Mom decided that she and Gambit needed to get to know each other again so they, accompanied by Rogue, went to Paris and started up mom's nightclub and sercurity company up again. Its kind of funny when you think about it two almost ex-thieves running a security company. I fear the temptation may be too much for the both of them, hopefully Rogue will keep them both honest.   
  
  
As for Dad and Conner they decided to open up the antiques store in New York again. Mostly because I still need to hone my sword skills. They decided for me that I'd spend at least three weeks of each month in intensive training with them. Joe decided to open up another blues club in New York. I have a sneaking suspicion that he just wants to keep an eye on us, its the Watcher in him I guess.  
  
  
No one ever found any sign of Methos, Richie, or Sabertooth after everything went down. I know Methos and Richie are both feeling pretty guilty about the things that happened and maybe one day they'll forgive themselves. I already have and I know sooner or later they'll both pop back into our lives again. Sabertooth, on the other hand, I'd be just fine if I never heard from him again and if he is still alive, he's really pissed at me. Oh yeah, Mystique was handed over to the authorities in Paris, turns out she has quite a rap sheet in Europe and as far as I know she's under someone's jail at this very minute. Life with the X-Men is definately going to be interesting. Especially since lately I've been having these strange dreams about some blonde with a crossbow, hope she's a friend.  
  
  
Somewhere in Southern California.  
  
  
**The Chosen One and friend Wicca shall travel across the sky to meet the Daughter of Immortals and the Inheritor of the powers of the first true witch. Creatures with powers more than human shall aid in a great battle and the Chosen One and Wicca shall recieve a warrior's right of cast.** A middle aged librarian read to himself in his house. "I wonder if this is good news or bad news? I'll keep it to myself until something comes up." The man speaks to himself.  
  
  
THE END?  
  
  
ITS FINALLY DONE!!! How did you like it? PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!! I promise the next crossover is going to be awesome and a lot more fun for the characters. Plus I"ll be adding a new immortal for the one person who guessed and got it right in my contest in the next story. A special thanks to Marcus my friend and sometimes co-writer and everyone who read my story, I really feel loved. :) Look out for the next X-over stories.   
  
  
They Watch us When We Sleep (New Series, Same characters, more x-over, more fun.) :) 


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